This Calling
by TheKyttin13
Summary: "Am I a woman, or am I a weapon?" Elsa growled. "Oh, you're more than that, love. You're the catalytic witch this world has been begging for since the teat of the Ice Age ran dry, and I'm here to crush every drop of sorcery from your ruined, tortured body." "You're a monster!" "No, Queen Elsa of Arendelle. YOU are the monster. All I am is the mirror to show you." (Dark-ish Scenes)
1. Born Of Cold

_**A/N: Normally, I can be found writing for Jimmy Neutron or Hannah Montana, but both fandoms have kinda fallen apart. Then I saw Kick-Ass 2, but could never think of anything to add to their fandom. Then I saw Frozen three times in three weeks, and I'd like to see it once more before it leaves theaters and I have to wait for the BluRay version to come out. Elsa captivated me from the start of the film, not because she's got the powers, but because she's so goddamned PRETTY. I'm the eldest of three siblings, I'm dating a girl who's got Anna's hyperactivity, and as such I identify rather strongly with her. That said, while I do believe that Frozen didn't live up to its hype and had an overall weak storyline with little to no back-story, I loved it all the same and now sing the songs at my house on a regular basis. **_

_**I talk too much. I suppose my writer's block and want of being accepted by this fandom are kinda showing. Maybe I'm more like Anna than Elsa after all. Eh, she's cute too. DISNEY, WHY ARE YOUR CHARACTERS ALWAYS SO GORGEOUS?**_

_**Anyways, this is a story I had an idea for...and it's an Elsanna pairing...and I'm not ashamed...So, yeah. Rated T for Tentative.**_

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_This Calling_

Chapter 1: Born Of Cold

"Elsa?"

_Knock, knock, knock-knock, knock._

The door to Arendelle Castle's study opened on oiled hinges, giving way to a blonde-haired woman with a confused scrunch upon her round, pale face.

"Anna, what is it?"

"It's today, Elsa."

"Today?" Sapphire eyes blinked in non-recognition. "I'm aware that it is today, Anna, just as yesterday was yesterday and tomorrow will surely be tomorrow."

"No, Elsa," the exasperated younger sister chuckled. "Not like that. Today is _the _day."

Elsa watched as her sister tucked one wily red strand of hair away from the cinnamon dusting across her cheeks. She blinked once again.

"And, exactly which day is that, Anna?"

Aquamarine eyes proceeded to roll as a gentle curl slipped into Anna's smile. She nodded her head once at the only window in the room, a large expanse of glass divided into multiple smaller squares by polished mahogany bracers. The lithe frame of the elder woman slipped toward the window, effortless steps of practiced grace brushing against the silk of the dress draped over her shoulders. She cast a critical eye over the square below, observing the courtyard with a furrow to her brow.

"What exactly am I-"

There. In the harbor, at the dock, nestled into the groin of sand that deflected tidal waves from flooding the townsfolk from their seafairing homes, rested a beautiful ship, cherry in color, ivory white in sail, blue and orange in flag.

"It...it can't be _today _already!"

Off in the distance, a small handful of ships drifted toward the kingdom across the calmest sea Arendelle had seen in many long years. Elsa laid a delicate hand on the glass, her breath frosting the window as she leaned closer.

"Elsa, the window."

The panes of glass had begun to sparkle with a layer of frozen mist radiating outward from the offending palm. She stepped back, chancing a light gasp. Red hair bounced into her vision, a quaint smile on its owner's face.

"Yes, Elsa."

"Anna, no, it can't be! I-I'm not ready!"

"Elsa, this was supposed to take place almost a month ago back at your coronation."

"It can't, Anna. They all think I'm a monster."

"The Duke of Weaseltown-"

"Weselton."

"_Weaseltown_, was the only one to say that about you. Him and, well..."

"Hans?"

"Yes. _Hans_."

The scowl that had captured Anna's features slipped slowly down her cheeks and off her chin, leaving an unreadable mask across her face. "But this, choosing a royal husband, was supposed to be a part of your Coronation as Queen of Arendelle."

"Oh, why couldn't father have had a son to fret over this?"

A warm, gentle hand slipped over Elsa's cool cheek, thumb brushing across the light pink blush powdered on the high, regal bone beneath. "Because daddy was blessed enough to have a beautiful daughter capable of handling it all with her head up and her chin out."

Elsa's pale complexion became more rosy, though Anna hadn't smeared her cosmetics. The trail of hair that had ailed the redhead previously hung once more alongside her cheek, making the quaint smile and sparkling eyes of Elsa's younger sister seem all the more charming, though the word that she would have chosen were it permitted would have been 'adorable.'

Her mind drifted backwards, spinning through time to the fateful day, the eye of the storm she never thought she'd see. Clear, in her mind's eye, the memory of the most painful experience of her short, sheltered life.

_"Your sister is dead! Because of you!"_

_She felt the words clamor against her eardrums, splitting her aching heart into tiny fragments of disbelief and fear. Her muscles tightened, eyes widened, her hair stiffened in the electricity of the moment. _

_She let one breath loose, and the blizzard dropped to a shattered standstill of icy snowflakes and floating hailstones, a scream ripping her throat apart as her legs gave out. She struck the ice hard, bruising a numb wrist and knee, all energy gone as she began to sob._

"Your sister is dead! Because of you!"

_Echoes. Screams. The terrified eyes of the infant she'd frightened in the courtyard. The bristling backs of the wolves she'd cast off. The angry red cracks in the facets of her ice palace. The sheer terror in Kristoff's irises at seeing Marshmallow's rage. The gape on Olaf's pallid face. _

_The anguish of her sister's thunderstruck face at being shut out, once again, by her own sister._

_Things Elsa couldn't take back. Things she couldn't undo. The suffering she'd inflicted upon her people, her only sister, her mother and father at keeping her locked away, a danger to everything and everyone. She'd been selfish to feel so free at the north mountain. She had heartlessly frozen the entire kingdom of Arendelle into one icy snowglobe, trapped forever by subzero temperatures and unmoving flurries._

You'll never see me cry_, she'd once said. Her eyes welled. 'No...no, no no no NO NO!'_

_Two pearls slid from each eye, crystalizing in the frosty air. _The cold never bothered me anyway. _Clarity brought the harsh reality down upon her quaking shoulders, and with a heave, she retched, dry sobs echoing across the frozen lake. She wasn't worth it. She wasn't worth anything. She was a freak, a monster, a demon, the resurrected Lucifer from the ninth circle of Dante's legendary inferno, hell's angel awakened and unleashed upon the world with a violent winter fury to storm any Bastille in its path. She was beyond redemption. She wasn't worth anything._

_She felt, when everything and nothing collided within her and numbed her frozen heart from the inside out, that she didn't deserve to live. Anna did. She, who had always been so excitable and genuine, the apple of everyone's eye, the princess whose naivete had gotten her into and out of trouble at every opportunity, was the one who should be alive._

_Anna. Not Elsa. Anna was a joyful child with a heart of gold. Elsa was a frozen wretch not worthy of any sympathy or mercy._

_She heard the distinct metallic ring of metal sliding against metal, knew without seeing that Hans stood behind her, blade at the ready, prepared to aid her in making her pay for the suffering of her kingdom, of her parents, of her sister._

_"Go ahead," she whispered to the man above her. The end was nigh._

_Clumsy steps. A harsh cry. The sound of air freezing directly into ice. The twisted screech of metal shredding into pieces._

_The blur in Elsa's memory was consistent each time it haunted her nightmares: Anna, with the heart of gold, had been turned to solid ice, shielding her older sister, protecting the one who'd caused such tragedy to so many helpless souls. Anna, the pure young woman, had protected her wicked older sister, displaying loyalty to the very end for a woman who felt she didn't deserve such._

_"Anna!" _No no no no no NO NO NO NO ANNA NO COME BACK PLEASE COME BACK god damnit anna no ANNA my SISTER COME BACK back come please to me TO ME TO ME PLEASE anna my sister please GOD DAMNIT NO!

_The Queen of Arendelle, brought to her knees, wept with abandon as she hung draped over her sister's body like a dirty rag on a polished silver hook. Nothing could or would ever bring her sister back from the world beyond life, a frozen hell in a barren wasteland. _

_And then...a breath._

Lub-dub. Lub-dub.

_"Anna?"_

_With tears speckling her eyes and freckles, the blonde squeezed her sister into her arms, crushing their beating hearts together just to reassure herself that the beautiful red-haired woman who'd saved her life was, in fact, alive and breathing. A soft chuckle met her ear._

_"Hi, Elsa," she whispered._

_They separated enough to gaze into the other's eyes._

_"But...why?"_

_Anna flopped her shoulders. "I love you," she said._

_Against anything Elsa could have hoped for in her life, Anna had been her savior and had forgiven her for everything. A shy smile graced the blonde's features, and her cheeks warmed in spite of the atmosphere._

_"Only true love can thaw a frozen heart," she heard Olaf gasp in realization. Love._

_"Love will thaw," she mused. Instantly, Anna's gleeful face broke into her mind's eye, and she reversed the winter's cataclysmic effects in a heartfelt tribute to the young woman standing beside her. She knew, at that moment, that having Anna by her side would make her whole. Love would thaw her frozen heart._

And it was this overwhelming sense of affection for her sister that had kept her shut up in the study for much of the preceeding month. She couldn't handle having Anna nearby, not when the woman who'd saved her life had claimed it was done out of love for her sister. Her _sister. _It was wrong enough that Elsa felt her body, her mind, her aching heart stirring for a member of her own gender, but for that stirring to further be for someone of her own bloodline was unspeakable. She'd tried reasoning with herself that Anna only loved her as a sister, but it failed to quench the thirst within. She'd even done research and associated her amorous intuition with the inverse of the Florence Nightingale effect, but she'd known since before her fateful coronation that she felt something more than sisterly attachment. Part of her reasoned that it was wrong. Part of her reasoned that she was going through a phase. Part of her reasoned that her hormones had been in a roil. Part of her reasoned that she'd been alone for so long that any sign of attempted bonding from anyone would have sparked her interest.

But the biggest part of her knew that no amount of logic would ever conquer her overpowering infatuation with her younger sister, only three months an adult and with hair the color of hot embers. And with Anna's adorable face smiling gently at her from a mere five inches away, a warm hand to her cool cheek, Elsa felt no other desire than to thank her sister until her face turned blue (which wouldn't be difficult given her icy powers), then pepper her cinnamon-freckled face with angel kisses for being the sweetest sister any girl could ask for.

"Elsa?"

Concern. The queen blinked and twitched her head. "I'm okay," she breathed, releasing a breath she didn't know she'd been holding.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm okay, Anna. I promise."

"Well, then, let's get you to those suitors."

"But...what if Hans and the Duke weren't the only ones who think I'm a monster?"

She knew that while it was pathetic to fear such judgment when she had been told so frequently by Anna that she wasn't, the thought still left her unsettled. She looked up long enough to see a flicker of something leave Anna's eyes, replaced by a second unreadable expression. "I'm sure they'll love you, Elsa."

There was no mistaking the difficulty it took for Anna to say those six words through gritted teeth, but before Elsa could ask about it a butler poked his shiny head into the study.

"Queen Elsa of Arendelle Castle, your suitors await your arrival."

The queen nodded once, dismissing the staff to return to her sister's discussion, only to find that the young red-haired woman had disappeared. She sighed, a sound which seemed to echo in the empty room, rustling papers and tickling book bindings as it passed.

"How am I going to tell her the truth?"

xXxXx

"I'm sure they'll love you, Elsa." _Just the way I do._

Anna had seen the swirling tirade of emotions in her sister's eyes moments before, knew without a doubt that the blasted memory of that hateful day had come back to haunt her, even in daylight. Anna knew how it bothered her sister, knew that every night for the past three weeks the queen had come to screaming bloody murder, crying _her _name, terrified in the dead of night that she'd lost her sister to the cold, that Hans had killed her, that any number of unspeakable horrors had come to pass. For Anna it had been simple: her sister meant more to her than a man who talked to reindeer and had beeen raised by trolls. Anna would sacrifice herself without fear or sorrow if it meant that her sister lived, and she would do so for the same reason she'd done the first time.

_"I love you." _

The three words she'd longed to say to her sister for years, words which had plagued her dreams through her childhood and adolescence. One simple phrase had her at its mercy. One small thing, yet she couldn't say it aloud to her own sister. Anna didn't care so much that it was considered taboo to be in love with her sister. What bothered her was fear.

Fear scared her. It should have seemed natural that Anna would be scared by fear, but fear wasn't an emotion she'd become familiar with prior to her sister's coronation. And even then, even after everything with Hans, with Marshmallow, with the Duke, what had scared Anna so badly was what would happen to Elsa. She had believed with almost every fiber of her being that her sister could make everything right and show everyone that she was a powerful woman who only had an unusual gift, not a monster in need of being slain.

But the quiet voice at the edge of her consciousness had asked, "And what if you're wrong?"

It was the fear _for _Elsa that scared her, not fear of her. It was this same fear that kept her quiet about her emotions, that had somewhat stifled her rambunctious nature, that had quieted the joyous cacophony she'd brought to every occasion.

Thus, when the well-timed butler had distracted her sister for that brief second, she sidestepped just out of Elsa's vision, darting for the door as soon as the shiny head disappeared, only just sliding out into the hallway to take deep, quiet breaths. Without really meaning to, Anna caught the sigh that her sister let slip, the cold breeze raising gooseflesh across her arms and shoulders, bare as they were in the mid-August heat.

"How am I going to tell her the truth?"

Anna crab-walked into the room next door, stepping just past the threshold and into the darkened room as her sister exited the study, a slow stride unable to disrupt the flow of her crystaline dress.

_The truth? That she doesn't want to meet the suitors? _

But that was far too obvious. Anna needed more information, needed to know what bothered the queen. With due haste, she snuck down the hallway and around the corner, taking great care to stay out of sight of her sister.

"...can't do this, I just can't go through with it. Oh, _why _can't this be as easy as it should be? Why must I..."

She darted around the hallway, dodging behind pillars and into empty rooms to stay as invisible as a red-haired woman with eager blue eyes and a silver-green dress possibly could among dark, hardwood panels and thick, red carpeting.

"...should be easier than this, what person in their right mind would make a Queen have to..."

Still not satisfied with the information, Anna continued tailing her sister toward the castle's courtyard entrance.

"...wish I could just tell Anna the truth."

The queen stopped in the middle of the hallway, unleashing an icy sigh upon the hall. Anna ducked behind a pillar.

_The truth?_

"Things would be so much easier if we weren't related."

Anna felt her heart grow colder than it had when she'd frozen into an ice sculpture. She couldn't contain the squeak of pain that slipped from her throat.

"Who's there?"

Anna clapped her hand over her mouth, tears streaming down her dusted cheeks. She shook her head, unable to reply, to move, to do anything but slide down the pillar, dress billowing out across the carpet. She heard a sharp intake of breath, followed by cautious steps that grew louder as they approached.

Light blue sparkles materialized in her peripheral vision. "A-Anna..."

The queen knelt before her silent sister, eyes wide. "H-how much of that...what did you hear?"

Anna couldn't speak. She found a surge of energy and forced her legs upright, the queen following suit.

"Anna, please! Talk to me."

_Slap!_

Anna had no memory of swinging her arm. She had no memory of pulling her hand from her face. But what she knew was that her palm stung with the pain of striking her sister's pale cheek, adorning it with a bright red handprint.

Elsa recoiled, fingers grazing her cheek as it showed an angry red splotch. Anna had never been violent.

Both sisters knew, right at that moment, that Elsa had gone one step too far with her muttering, and that the damage couldn't be undone.

"Anna, please, no, that was out of context."

Red hair whipped around, its owner running down the hall away from her sister. Elsa reached for a hand and held it fast by the wrist. A second stinging slap, this one to the back of her hand, and Anna was free again. Frightened out of her control, Elsa did the only thing she could think to do.

She froze the hallway and her sister's feet into one massive icicle, eliciting a shriek of indignation.

"Anna, stop it! I know what you heard, but it's not what you think."

Still, the frozen legs of her sister struggled. Anna had to get free, to run away, to escape her sister's harsh words.

"Anna!"

"NO!"

She whirled, snapping the ice from one foot as she spun. Elsa stopped in her tracks.

"You shut me out, Elsa! You abandoned me to fend for myself in this empty castle, not even knowing who my own sister is or when I'll see her again. You weren't there when momma and daddy were put into the ground, Elsa! You weren't _there, _not for them and not for me! And then, I find out you've got this, this..._power _and I STILL supported you through it and went to get you and bring your stubborn self back home with me! You froze my heart, Elsa; I _died for you! _I gave up everything I had because I love you, and now you're telling me that you don't want to be related to me!"

Sobs wracked the slender frame, shoulders heaving, nose running, eyes puffy and red. "I gave you everything! _I gave you my life, Elsa!_"

She snapped the other foot from the ice, two solid bricks of cold molded onto her feet that clunked when she walked. "And this is what I hear, Elsa? This, after...a-after everything, this..."

She turned, clunking slowly down the hallway toward the front doors. She felt Elsa's cool hand reach her shoulder, but without a second thought she spun and let loose a clenched fist.

With stinging knuckles for Anna and a busted lip with a bloody nose for Elsa, Anna shook her head and ran full tilt toward the doors, slamming them open and fleeing the courtyard through the open gates, ice splitting from her feet at every step.

And the tears littered a trail on the flagstone pathway, evaporating into the summer heat to hide all trace of Anna's grief.

xXxXx

Elsa sunk to her knees, the plush carpet sopping from its recent thaw. She cupped her bruised cheek in one hand, blood dribbling through her fingers and into the like-colored carpet.

"...thought I just saw Anna go through here. Queen Elsa?"

She looked up in time to see Kristoff, the blonde-haired ice harvester of Arendelle, step carefully through the doors into the castle. He blinked.

"Your Highness, what on earth happened?"

Elsa slowly got to her feet, lowering her hand to leave a bloody print on her iridescent dress. "Anna and I had a fight, and now she's gone." Her voice was level.

"Oh my...did she do that?"

The queen waved away his concern. "I'm fine, Kristoff. Do me a favor and find my sister. She and I...we need to have a talk."

He nodded once, not sure where to begin looking. "Will you be coming with, or attending to your suitors?"

She sighed. "I must stay here and explain why I cannot have any suitors at the moment, at least until the healer helps close this up."

He turned to leave.

"Kristoff."

Pause.

"When you find Anna..."

"My Lady, I have no idea if I'll even be able to find her; I don't know where she went."

"When you find her," the queen persisted, "tell her...tell her that I...that _Elsa _loves her...more than anything else in the world."

He blinked at the cryptic comment. "I'll do what I can."

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_**I didn't mean for Kristoff to use Hans's comment at the end there, but...oops. Read into that how you will; it may or may not have an effect on the story. See you next time, my gentle snowflakes, and don't hesitate to read my other fics if you'd like. Yay advertising! ~Kyttin**_


	2. Winter Air

_**A/N: **__**To those who don't know me and my works, this is a stupid-fast update. I don't even write this fast for an essay that I've put off to the last minute, so congratulations: this chapter is a treat for you all. I apologize in advance for the possibility that I might not be able to continue the rate of updates I've been at these past two days. But, you blew up my inbox with follows and favorites, so I suppose I might have something worth continuing. **_

_**This is Chapter Two of This Calling. I have no idea how long this story will end up being, but I've got some ideas (if the summary doesn't suggest as much).**_

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_This Calling  
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Chapter 2: Winter Air

"...so I'm afraid I can't afford to take on suitors at this time. I apologize for the inconvenience, and all interested parties are welcome to stay in Arendelle Castle, but I have matters I must attend to that are most urgent."

The throne room erupted into violent jeers of protest, raving at the queen for once again rendering all efforts for naught, though as far as she even cared at that moment they were little more than drowned rats that had scudded across the water clinging to the hope that they might have a chance at royal arrangements.

"...came all the way here to hear..."

"...unspeakable, just so terribly disappointing..."

"...doesn't even have the decency..."

"...atrocious, and after what my idiot brother came home blathering about."

She singled out the voice, realizing that it had the same grating roar as one other individual, and the large nose, auburn hair, and scruffy sideburns set her veins alight with icy rage.

"You."

The room fell dead silent as the warm temperature fell to just shy of chilly. She split a wake through the crowd and locked one angry set of hooked fingers around a white-suited bicep, dragging the man down to her level. He sputtered in indignation.

"Your _idiot brother, _Prince Hans, left my beloved sister to _die. _He left her to freeze to death without a second thought when he tried to steal my kingdom away. I don't know how you savages down in the Southern Isles handle treason, attempted second-degree murder of a royal family member, and attempted first-degree murder of a monarch, but I will not stand for such begrudging commentary from someone of relation to a _maggot_ as declared by Arendelle jurisdiction. I sent your brother home, never to deal with him again, so that I wouldn't have to kill him myself, but do _not _for one instant delude yourself into thinking you have any control over me or my kingdom. I would have had him charged and committed right in my own courtyard, _by mine own icy hands,_ but I gave him back to you. Do not test me, Prince Ivan of the Southern Isles; I gave that man and the royal family he comes from a second opportunity at retribution in my kingdom. Make no mistake: you are in _my _house with _my _rules, and so long as this is the case, I will have no mercy against anyone who dares speak against me, my kingdom, or my sister." She looked around at the pale faces. "Anyone," she reiterated, dropping the temperature several degrees further. She tossed the shaken man from her hand and took a deep breath, drawing the cold air back through her nose to sit once again in her veins.

"I apologize for the discomfort you all had to feel and for my less than regal actions this evening, but I am still the ruler of Arendelle and I am very proud of my kingdom and my sister." She resisted the urge to bring her hand up to her swollen upper lip. "And I apologize for your troubles in coming to my humble castle in hope of resuming the ceremony that was scheduled for one month previous. Had I known an issue would arise, I would have sent notice much sooner to save everyone the time and energy, but now that all the prospecting princes and, in some cases, princesses, are here, the best I can do at the moment is to offer you our rooms and our staff's wonderful selection of food in the meantime. I hope to resolve this issue without any delay, but for now, please, allow my staff to offer you the best comfort of Arendelle's humble kingdom. If you will all kindly excuse me, I must find my Royal Ice Harvester."

She strode through the crowd, the door within reach when a large arm barred her path. A great, bearded man with twinkling brown eyes stood beaming at its shoulder.

"Excuse me, sir."

"Queen Elsa of Arendelle, you are just twenty-one and already command the respect of your parents."

"You are...?"

"Forgive me. I am King Albert of the East Hillock, yonder across the sea. My son, Alexander, was to be a suitor of yours, though I can see you are in great distress at the moment, and so I will inform him that he is no longer a viable option. You will have my kingdom's support in any decision you make, no matter how hasty or delayed."

"You have my gratitude." A smile ghosted her cheek.

"Perhaps when you are less pressured, we can discuss an alliance, tactical or otherwise."

Suspecting a possible ulterior motive, Elsa took the safe route. "Perhaps in a few days, when I have a moment to organize my thoughts. If you'll be so kind as to excuse me, King Albert."

She curtseyed to his bow, stepping past him as she departed the throne room, head pounding with restrained tension. She could feel the power fueling her motions, knew she had to find Kristoff and get an update on her sister's whereabouts as soon as was permitted.

Fortunately, just as she rounded the corner to step out of the castle and into the courtyard, she ran smack into the very man she'd hoped to find. He caught her from falling backwards and steadied them both.

"How is your face feeling?"

"Tender. Where is Anna?"

"I found her out by Wandering Oaken's Trading Post, Your Highness. She has been safely returned to her room; I only just finished calming Sven down from his tirade."

Elsa moved toward the sweeping staircase, stopped only by a rogue grasp of his hand. "She requested not to be disturbed, Your Highness."

She sighed, jerking her hand from his hold. She beckoned him, drawing the curious mountain man into an empty room off the foyer. She sighed, shoulders drooping with the weight of her words.

"We can drop the formalities here, Kristoff," she explained, sealing the door shut with an icy flick of the wrist. He crossed his arms, leaning against a bureau.

"Look, Elsa, I know you're stressed and tied up in these inevitable royal shenanigans, but from what I could gather from Anna, you were cruel and abrasive this morning."

He hadn't meant to sound harsh, but the words stung all the same. Elsa let out a watery sigh, tears staining her cheeks.

"I...I didn't mean it the way she heard."

Kristoff was silent, waiting for her to continue. When she didn't, he sighed as well.

"Look. You're her sister before her queen. Anna's a...well, you know, she's more literal and fun-loving than most people. She's very childish and can be unrestrained at times, but we both know she means well. I've never met a nicer lady in my life, and I'm only bothered that things didn't quite click between us as I'd hoped they would. I probably blame myself more than I should, but it was a mutual thing."

"You two...aren't...?"

"No, no. It was odd, y'know? Don't get me wrong, she's a sweet girl, but...she's too young upstairs for me, and I'm probably too old for her in the same regard. That said, she takes things to heart, and she only really reads what she sees or hears at face value. She told me that you said things would be much easier if you weren't siblings. I believe you," he said as she moved to protest. "Trust me that far, Elsa, I believe you when you say you didn't mean it as she heard it. I know it was out of context as well as you do. But...we both know Anna isn't one to rationalize that way. She's simple, and the simple message was exactly what she heard."

"It's not like that, Kristoff. I can't...it's just not..."

"You don't have to explain anything to me. I'm not your sibling, I'm not a grief counselor, I don't even really think I can be called your friend. I'm an ice harvester for Arendelle. It's what I know. It's what I was born and bred with. But you learn things about how the world works when you're raised by a family of rock trolls, and what they told me is that confronting a problem is the best way to find a solution. You don't have to tell me anything, Elsa. That conversation should be with Anna, when she's ready for it."

"But she won't be! You just said yourself, she reads things as they appear, not as they actually are. That...what she heard would crush me if she'd said it to me," the queen admitted with a shaky voice. "I don't know if I could handle hearing such a thing leave her mouth..."

"Anna will recover. She always does. She loves you, Elsa. Everyone knows it; she would have given her life to save you, and we know she'd do it again if she had to. This is just another bump in the road of life. You just need to be a bit more careful about your surroundings, alright? We may not have been romantically compatible, but she's still the closest friend I have, aside from that kooky snowman of yours."

Elsa chuckled. "Olaf is still himself, huh?"

"Not that we'd expect him to change, but yeah. Just...be gentle around Anna, alright? She doesn't take well to roughness."

"Why is it you know more about my sister than I do?"

"Sometimes, our friends know more about us than our family does. That, and I have a family of 'love experts' who help me figure this stuff out."

Elsa sighed. "Should I go try to talk to her?"

"Why ask me?"

"You've made sense so far."

"I'm an ice harvester, not a therapist. I can only say what I know. On this one, I don't know. The alternative is that you wait for her to come to you."

"But she isn't at fault here, and it could take weeks for her to come around."

"Then go to her. Didn't I just tell you I don't know?"

Sigh. "I'm scared."

"Of Anna?" He scoffed. "Then you'd might as well write off ever owning a rabbit or a kitten; those things are vicious killers."

She couldn't help but laugh. "Well, alright. I know it seems foolish, but I've spurned her so much in the past that I...I don't know what to do."

"She understands why it was that way. Now it's up to you to help her understand this, too."

"Thanks, Kristoff. For a man of rugged home and heart, you're very insightful."

"Talking to my reindeer sometimes helps me work things out. Sven's the real hero, not me."

She giggled. "Alright. Then I'll go see if I have any luck with Anna."

"I wish you the best."

She unfroze the door handle and stepped out of the chamber, gliding up the stairs and down the hall, unsure just what to say or how to act around her sister but driven by an impulse to mend the heart she'd managed to break.

First frozen, then broken. The only thing Elsa could do to make things between them worse would be to set her on fire in the next month. _At least I have ice powers. Can't burn anything with ice._

She slowed to a tentative halt outside Anna's door. Fear settled into her veins once again. Engaging Anna in conversation would be nothing short of painful. She pressed her ear to the door, hearing a quiet sniffle.

_Knock, knock, knock-knock, knock._

"Go away."

She swallowed around the lump in her throat. The palpitations in her heart suddenly seemed to become louder and more violent. With trembling fingers, she twisted the unlocked handle and nudged the massive oak door open.

She slipped into the dark room, shutting the door with great care. She crossed to her sister with gentle steps, drawing up an icy chair with a snow-topped cushion at the bedside. A huddled figure curled under the bedspread whimpered in the dark as Elsa took her seat.

"Anna, we need to talk."

Red hair and red eyes on a heart-shaped face poked from beneath the covers. "I said go away," she whispered.

Using one silky sleeve, Elsa mopped the tear-stains and mucus from her sister's face. "I can't stay away from my sister when she's hurting, Anna."

"It's your-"

"Shhh, I know, but you've got it wrong. Can I...may I explain, please? Anna?"

The red-head pushed her way upright, leaning against the headboard of her bed, one large pillow cushioning her lower back. Elsa felt her breath hitch; Anna was garbed only in a simple gossamer slip that shimmered as she moved.

"I...I'm not sure how to say this, exactly...but, just..."

She took a deep breath and tried again, staring to the spot just over Anna's left shoulder.

"What you heard isn't what you thought you heard, Anna. I...I love you, and I hope Kristoff told you that."

"He said 'she loves you more than you know.'"

"I didn't mean for that to...sound that way. I'm indebted to you, indefinitely, and...I don't want to lose you, Anna, not ever. I..."

She shivered in spite of herself, whispering a hollow expletive.

"I don't know if I can explain myself..."

"Try."

"I...I don't know if I have the words."

Anna watched her, face expressionless. Elsa slid onto the bed, resting one cool hand atop the warmth of her sister's.

"I just don't know if..." Another quiet expletive. "Why does this have to be so difficult?"

As the ceiling was wont to do, it remained silent to her question. Her heart thrummed in her throat, blood boiling in her icy veins, headache raging stronger than ever. She couldn't catch her breath.

"I-it's just...when I see you...everything gets brighter. Like...you bring the sun wherever you go, and I want to laugh whenever I'm near you because you're so...just...so..._real_. You...you're what I can't be, because everyone loves you the same as they fear me."

"They don't fear you, Elsa."

"I...they don't..." Expletive. "I just...don't...oh, how do I say what I want to without pushing you away further?"

"Just try, Elsa."

"But I don't have the words. I can't...explain it."

"Could you show it?"

The plea in her aquamarine eyes made the ache in Elsa's heart only grow stronger.

"I didn't mean to hurt you, Anna. I just...something has come up, a-and I think it would be easier to accept and manage if we didn't happen to be blood relatives."

"I don't understand..."

"Do you trust me?"

This was it. The moment of truth. The silence cloyed at her ears, making her headache swell and squeeze with earnest.

There. A small, timid nod.

Elsa slid her hands up Anna's arms, raising gooseflesh from the gentle chill she always carried. Up, up around her slender neck and to her round cheeks, cupping her sister's cinnamon-dusted face in her hands. She touched her nose to Anna's, her eyes wide with the anticipation. Anna still watched in mute confusion.

"I can't...tell you...but I can show you...if you'll let me."

Anna shivered in her hands, icy breath tickling her nose and lips. "I trust you, Elsa."

Her eyes slid shut as she teased her fingers against her sister's jawline, and with slow, careful caresses, she tipped her head forward and brought the softest kiss she could muster onto her sister's warm, precious lips.

xXxXx

Anna wasn't sure exactly what she was trusting her sister with, not until Elsa's eyes slid closed and her face drew near. Then it clicked, and the moment Anna had longed for was finally brought right to her by a concerned sister.

For someone who always had a chilly aura, her lips were infused with blazing heat, as though the lack of heat anywhere else in her body had manifested itself in the form of the two fleshy muscles quietly kneading at her own. She shivered, wrapping her arms around her sister's body.

The spell was broken. Elsa recoiled, face flushed, sitting up with abrupt haste. Anna touched her lips in wonder.

"You...kissed me."

Elsa bit her lip and looked away, shame scrawled across her features. Anna reached out, touching her sister's arm. Elsa flinched.

"Elsa, it's okay."

"No, Anna, it isn't. This...this is what I meant by not being siblings."

"So that you can kiss me?"

"So that I can be in love with you."

Stunned silence.

"You were the only thing that ever crossed my mind when I was locked away all those years, Anna. I'd look forward to hearing you skip down the hall, singing with wild abandon about anything and everything. I wanted to build a snowman with you, even if it wasn't a snowman. I asked mother and father incessantly how you were and what you'd done that day, just to feel like I'd been there having fun with you. I wanted so badly to be your friend, your sister, and I fantasized about spending time with you so much it hurt. And then when I became a teenager and learned about...well, boys and girls...I didn't want to know what boys were like. I knew you were down the hall, I wanted to talk to you about it and learn from you and about you, Anna. All those years you spent knocking on the door, I wanted nothing more than to slam it open and do...what we just did. Just that...just that would have been enough for me."

She sighed, standing up with her usual grace and controlled posture. "But we can't. Not so much because we're both women, but because we're siblings. It would ruin Arendelle's reputation, it would destroy the kingdom, and...it would take us down too, Anna. I-I can handle losing my kingdom, myself, my everything, but I can't lose you, not when I just got you back from a frozen hell."

Anna realized with uncontrollable fear that her sister looked fragile and torn, something she hadn't seen of her sister in a very long time. She shifted in her bed, still buzzing from the high she'd been gifted.

"Elsa...it doesn't have to be that way. We can...there's gotta be a way, because I love you too, and I don't want to give it up without trying to make it work. If...if we can just try, Elsa, just try to make it work, maybe everything will be alright, and if...if we try and it doesn't...then it just doesn't."

A lump had formed in her throat, making speech difficult. Elsa hadn't moved since standing, arms limp at her sides. Anna blinked away the pain of tears that threatened to form.

"Whatever happens...we're still sisters. We can do anything, Elsa. Just...can we just try?"

The timidity of her voice was enough to stir her sister to action. "I...Anna, this won't be easy. Nobody, not a single soul, can find out about this."

"I know, Elsa. But I didn't know about your feelings until now, and you didn't know about mine, so if we can fool each other, we could fool the kingdom, right?"

"We just...have to be careful; no, _beyond_ careful. I don't know what could happen if we were ever found out-"

"Then we don't let it happen! Come on, Elsa, you hid your ice powers from the kingdom for twenty-one years!"

"Anna, I was locked in my bedroom for sixteen of those years just so nobody could find out, not even you."

"And now you're out and free, and your powers are the gem of Arendelle."

"No, Anna; _you _are the gem of Arendelle. The people love you, and if they learned that she had been corrupted by her older sister-"

"Corrupted by a woman I haven't known for sixteen years of my life?"

"The people won't see it that way."

"If I'm really the gem of Arendelle, then they can't hate me and my decisions."

"They'll hate me, they already do."

"The same way they supposedly hate your powers?"

Elsa growled in frustration. "Why are you incapable of seeing the negative repercussions of, well, _us?_"

"Because I don't need to, Elsa. Sure, I could be like you and overcomplicate things and try to examine every angle, but then I wouldn't have any fun. That's what love is all about, Elsa: _fun_."

"Are you saying I don't have any fun?"

"Kristoff doesn't call you 'uptight ol' frostbite' for no reason."

"Remind me to reduce his wages."

"You don't pay him wages, remember?"

Elsa huffed.

"Look, you asked me to trust you, and everything turned out alright. Now I'm asking you to trust me, Elsa. Trust me and everything will be alright. I can do this, you can do this, but I can't do this without you."

The blonde slowly turned to look at her sister with tears glazing her eyes.

"Do you really think...we even have a chance?"

"I think we have more of a chance than you're willing to consider."

"I...I just don't know."

"Alright, here, try this: um...since it's dark and getting late, why don't you do what you're good at and go sleep on it, think about it a bit, and when we wake up in the morning we'll just...play it by ear. Alright?"

Elsa hesitated.

"I trusted you. Do you trust me?"

With closed eyes and shaking hands, Elsa nodded. "I-I'll see you in the morning, Anna."

"Wait."

The queen stopped.

"Aren't you going to say goodnight?"

She turned. "Eh...goodnight, Anna."

"No, no, silly. C'mere."

Elsa crossed to Anna's bed, brows arched in confusion. Anna beckoned her closer, causing the older woman to bend at the waist to level their faces. Without warning, Anna leaned forward and fluttered her lips against her sister's, feeling the welcome electric shiver rip through her bloodstream. She grinned.

"Goodnight, Elsa," she whispered. "Sweet dreams."

Elsa blinked. "N-night, Anna."

With less grace than normal, the blonde slipped from the room, leaving Anna to drift off into the happiest sleep of her life.

* * *

_**I've done femslash fics before; my work in the Hannah Montana category with the Liley tag should be enough to claim that. I hope I'm making this believable for everyone, considering my mind is clouded and I'm trying to emulate characters I'm not too familiar with (despite having seen the film three times). Anyways, I love you all, my gentle snowflakes, and I'll be sure to try and update again soon if you'll bear with me (and/or tell me what you think). ~Kyttin**_


	3. Mountain Rain

_**A/N: Another fast update. I'm actually enjoying writing this story. Yey?**_

* * *

_This Calling_

Chapter 3: Mountain Rain

Sunlight filtered through the massive arched window embedded into the wall, swathing Anna in its gentle glow of warmth. She woke up feeling enriched and replenished, vitality restored, heart thrumming mad.

"Elsa..." She touched her lips, remembering the delicious tingle from the night before. _I hope she vouched in my favor._

She stood, the slip falling from her body to pool on the floor. She gazed at it in wonder, forgetting for the moment that she resided in the nude, so warm and comforting was the sun.

Without a second thought, she made straight for the shower, starting up a steamy wonderland of lyrical freedom, waking her body and mind to prepare for the day to come. Her one desperate hope, for Elsa to have responded positively to the prior evening, was the only dampener to her spirit in spite of the invigorating shower soaking her body. She prayed that Elsa would agree.

xXxXx

The queen hadn't slept but three hours, so engaged and contemplative was her teeming mind, exploring every possible angle of the situation, piecing apart the consequences, breaking down everything she knew and thought she knew to try and develop a feasible resolution to the predicament.

And nothing had come.

She tried again, screwing up her hair even further, the bags under her eyes deepening as she struggled to parse a solution together.

_Anna._

It should have been simple. It should have been less than the complicated confusion she'd created, but she wanted to be absolutely certain everything was untraceable.

_You're looking for an excuse to say no._

"I'm not! I would have said no outright if I were!"

_Then what's the issue?_

"I just...this couldn't ever get out, and I have suitors to manage, and I have to fulfil my duties as queen, and-"

_So?_

"So, I can't just abandon all of that for Anna...even if she...I..."

_You would abandon her for this?_

"I already did that once. I'm not gonna do it again."

_Then don't. What would Anna do?_

"Anna would...she would..."

_Anna would just go with it._

"But how...how can I do that? I'm queen!"

_And she is a princess. She could have been queen just as easily as you, and she'd put everything aside for you._

"But I can't!"

_Can't you?_

"I...can I?"

She paused in her mental tirade. It really _was _simple. She'd worn a mask all her life to fool the world; putting one on for the royal court and the suitors wouldn't be difficult. The toughest part of wearing the mask would be convincing Anna to do the same, she with her free spirit and unrestrained motor mouth. She was almost guaranteed to let something slip.

With a set jaw, Elsa pulled her hair back and adjusted the glittering shawl on her shoulders. She strode from her room, ignoring the servants calling her name as she passed. She strode right into Anna's room and powered into the bathroom, where she could see a mane of sopping red hair in the mist.

"Els-mmf!"

Unrestrained passion overtook the blonde as she brought her face once again onto her sister's, gentle as before but with obvious need working its way through her chill fingers and grasping lips. She felt as though she were having a long, refreshing draught from the fabled fountain of youth.

"Elsa...what was that?"

"My answer. We...we need to talk, first, but...I'm willing to give it a try."

"Well, you'll have to give me a moment to fix my hair and get dressed."

Elsa's eyes flicked down for a brief second, not comprehending the words as they rang in her ears, but seeing the swell of Anna's bare bosom kicked reality into her face. She flushed in shame.

"Oh. OH. Oh my...Anna, I'm so sorry, I just-"

"Relax," the younger girl giggled. "It was bound to happen sooner or later. Besides, we come from the same parents, so we should have similar bodies, right?"

Elsa covered her eyes with her palms, stepping away from Anna and out of the bathroom amid a myriad of laughter. "I'll be out in a minute. Lock the bedroom door for me, yeah?"

Elsa crossed the room to do exactly that for her sister, sitting in a plush armchair by the hearth. She plucked a book from the oblate coffee table and set about reading it, delving into a land of dragons and elves, of a boy with a strange power and a silver-marked palm.

She jumped when Anna draped herself over the back of the chair, snuggling up to her sister. "I leave you to yourself for ten minutes and you're almost sixty pages into this book. No wonder the healer recommended glasses for you."

Anna kissed her cheek. Elsa felt the spot burn long after Anna moved away.

"So, you said we needed to talk?"

The blonde snapped the book shut, her brain coming back to its senses. "Sit down, Anna."

"Am I in trouble?" she pouted.

"No, no, we just...just sit."

Anna flounced into her sister's lap. Elsa was forced to drop the book to the carpet below or have it crushed into her torso.

"So, what are we talking about?"

"Ah, well, uh..." The queen adjusted her legs to get comfortable; she might have been four inches taller than her sister, but Anna's bust, posterior, and musculature gave her twenty pounds over her elder sister, and Elsa could feel every bit of it digging into her thighs.

"See...the big problem with us being...well, _free _with each other, I suppose you'd say...is someone finding out. I...I've had to play a game with myself, a mantra father called 'conceal, don't feel' to keep my powers in check, but...you've done no such thing, and, well..."

"...you're worried I'll forget and do something foolish."

"Well...yeah. I-it's not that I don't trust you, Anna, I do-"

"Elsa, relax. It's been bothering me too. You've always been so good at keeping a straight face; I remember that night you had too much to drink and played cards with Kristoff and some guys from the tavern. Even with your buzz and talking left and right about everything, you still managed to keep everyone on their toes and won."

Elsa chuckled at the memory, her cheeks turning pink. "That was so bad."

"It was awesome watching them stare at you. They couldn't believe you were winning while drunk."

"Anna, stop, please. It's...that's not really how a queen should be acting."

"My point is, you kept it together despite everything being against you. I'm...not like that. You're right, Elsa; I could blow this."

"So, then, what should we do?"

Anna pouted and held her chin in her hand. "I don't know."

Elsa gazed into the charred, broken logs laying in the hearth, searching for an answer that might never come.

"What if I spent my time in here? Then I would never have to risk saying anything aloud."

"I'm not going to lock you up, Anna. You're my sister, not my prisoner."

"What if you fill my mouth with snow whenever I get close to blabbing?"

"And what happens when I'm not there?"

They thought harder. Anna snapped her fingers.

"You made Olaf come to life."

"And he's not much help for this situation, Anna."

"No, he is! You can make things with your powers that are, well, _alive._"

"And your point is...?"

"What if you made something, something small, and every time I got carried away it would poke me or pinch me or something?"

"I can't be violent to my sister...but you've given me an idea."

Elsa swirled her hands, twisting snow and ice into a cyclone in her palm. With a flourish and the crunch of crushed snow, she flattened her hand against the arm of the couch, forming an iridescent tiara of sparkling crystal ice and glistening powder.

"This tiara should work. It will drip icy water down your neck should you slip when not alone with me."

Anna shivered. "That already sounds effective."

"Hopefully it isn't too cold."

The red-head slipped the tiara onto her head, a soft smile on her face and sparkles in her eyes. "I love it, Elsa. It'll be a big help. Thank you."

Elsa tapped her sister's nose. "Just don't forget."

"With ice-water on my neck? How could I?"

Elsa laughed and moved to stand, ushering Anna from her lap. "Stranger things have happened."

A knock sounded. "Princess Anna?"

"Yes?"

"You and your sister are requested in the throne room. She hasn't been through here, has she?"

"I'm here," Elsa replied.

"Then, the message is the same: Queen Elsa and Princess Anna are requested in the throne room to address the suitors."

"We'll be down shortly."

They looked at each other, hope glimmering in their eyes. "Let's do this."

"Elsa, wait, you don't..." She lowered her voice. "You aren't just saying this to mess with me, are you?"

Elsa smiled, bringing her own voice to a whisper. "None of these suitors could compare to the best woman alive."

Anna flushed.

xXxXx

"So, Elsa of Arendelle, what do you say?"

The hall gazed expectantly at the queen, standing beside her sister with all due grace. Elsa cleared her throat.

"After due consideration, and speaking at great length with Princess Anna, she and I have decided that-"

"_She and I?_ Forgive me, but I was under the impression that the queen made her own decisions for the best of herself and her kingdom, not at the discretion of her sister."

Anna let slip a tight gasp. She watched Elsa draw up to her full height, and though she was nowhere near the tallest in the room, she commanded an authority that withered the crowd of royals before her, all except the offending voice of Prince Ivan.

"My sister has every bit of entitlement to the throne as I, Prince Ivan of the Southern Isles. I warned you last night that any claim against my people, my kingdom, or my sister would not go without repercussion."

"I'm eager to see what you have planned, _Your Highness_." He sneered at her. "Or will it be your baby sister deciding what to do? You don't seem capable of running a kingdom without her aid, after all. Wasn't it she who ultimately stopped the blizzard that almost froze your people to death?"

With a bout of unrestrained rage, she unleashed a frozen cuticle of snow that froze his tongue to the inside of his mouth. He began screaming and attempting to open his mouth, to no avail.

"You are on my last bit of patience, Prince Ivan, and if you cannot reign in your foul tongue I shall have my head maid wash your mouth as she would wash a latrine. Be grateful I am only silencing you until I have had my say."

Elsa then clapped her hands together. "As I was saying, Princess Anna and I have spoken at great length about how to proceed with meeting the prospecting suitors, and we have decided to split the dealings equally, as there are simply too many for me to account for on my own. The Princess is the only person I trust well enough to help me in this lengthy endeavor, and we have agreed that each day will allow us the opportunity to spend time with a different suitor. At breakfast, she and I will meet the day's suitors and dine together with them. We will then spend the time leading to supper apart with our respective suitors, and after a reunion over supper, she and I will depart to our chambers to discuss our respective experiences. I intend for the decision to be as fair and nonbiased as possible, despite choosing my sibling as my assistant, and I bid you all the best of luck, for the betterment of Arendelle's humble kingdom. I will have my staff post notice of the day each suitor is expected to spend with us, and which of us he shall be interacting with, starting tomorrow. For now, enjoy the festivities Arendelle has to offer; I will be hosting an ice-skating party in the square after lunch has concluded."

She clapped her hands together again. "All are dismissed, with exception of Prince Ivan. My sister and I would like to talk to him privately."

The room slowly filtered down to just the three occupants, one standing rigid with a frozen tongue, the other two glaring at the sideburn-clad sibling of the villainous perpetrator of the previous month.

"Prince Ivan. That is a title you and your brother shouldn't be worthy of holding. I can only hope that you two are the only ones in your family with rotten thoughts inside, though it wouldn't surprise me if I were wrong.

"Did Hans ever tell you that my little sister gave him a nice right hook to the jaw when he attempted to kill us both and steal our kingdom? I would have frozen him into a block of ice, but I think Anna's solution was far more elegant. Imagine that: your brother got punched by a girl. She left quite the bruise, too."

Ivan scowled.

"You listen here," Anna spoke up, glowering at the man. His advantage in stature was no match for her fiery attitude. "The Queen and I had a very lengthy discussion over breakfast as to what to do with you, and we've come to the conclusion that you are going home. _Today._"

He looked flabbergasted.

"Oh yeah, you and Hans have assured both the Southern Isles and Arendelle that your kingdom won't have any hand ours," Anna continued. "The Queen received a letter from your father stating explicitly that you were to be sent home for erratic behavior, and I think your asinine words last night and this morning are both very wonderful examples of erratic behavior."

"So," Elsa interjected, picking up right where Anna set down, "I expect your equipment to be packed and your ship departed from my harbor by tomorrow at daybreak. You have two options: either keep to yourself and depart quietly during the middle of the night to avoid embarassment, or act like a child once more and have me evict you during the ice-skating party in front of everyone. Your choice."

Elsa unfroze his mouth. He sputtered again, kneading his jaw with his hands to loosen the muscles.

"If you have nothing further to say or comment about, both of which I strongly advise against, you may want to consider an evening departure."

Prince Ivan fled the chamber without reply. Elsa chuckled, earning a raised eyebrow from Anna.

"I don't think that could have gone any better," she said. Anna's laughter echoed in the empty room.

* * *

**_My next update should be tomorrow afternoon PST, I hope. I love you all, my gentle snowflakes, and I'll see you soon! ~Kyttin  
_**


	4. Combination

_**A/N: Didn't update yesterday because I spent most of the day either in a car or cleaning shit. Mom decided to make her New Year's Resolution something like "What can I do to make my eldest son crack?," and it seems to be working so far. Oh well; Mom always did have an odd sense of humor. Guess that's where I get mine from.**_

_**Anywayses, here is Chapter 4 of This Calling.**_

* * *

_This Calling_

Chapter 4: Combination

Late afternoon found Anna curled up next to her sister in the library, a book in Elsa's hands, her duties as queen put on hold while she read to her sister; the skating party had gone off well. Were Anna still conscious, Elsa would have continued reading the words aloud, but as the redhead was in a peaceful dreamland, the blonde had taken to reading the story alone, delving into a world of her own all in her mind's eye.

"Queen Elsa?"

She looked up at the voice, seeing that it was a fair-haired girl of roughly twelve years of age.

"You are?"

"Ah, forgive me!" The girl curtseyed low, eyes bowed from Elsa's view.

"Please, keep your voice down. My sister is asleep, after all."

The girl stood, nodding. "I am Princess Maria of the Spanish Empire; my older brother Juan is one of your suitors."

"Ah, I see. What can I do for you?"

"W-well..." The girl wrung her hands together. "Brother said you have a...a power."

"Were you at the skating party earlier?"

"No; he said it was for adults only."

"Nonsense. My parties are about everyone having a good time together."

"He didn't let me and...I wondered..."

Elsa suppressed a giggle. With a flick of her wrist, she created a small, glittering snowglobe that descended into Maria's hands.

"Ooh, it's cold!"

"Ice and snow are usually cold."

The girl squealed in delight when the globe lit up with a blizzard. "Can I...keep it?"

"Of course you may. Just don't tell anyone; it'll be our secret."

Eyes shining in ecstasy, the girl skipped away, giggling down the hall.

"Well, that was a nice thing to do."

Kristoff had poked his head around the bookshelf, fixing his gaze on Elsa's cozy figure.

"Sometimes I show the people a good thing or two about myself."

"Be careful about that; wouldn't want you warming up on us too much. You might melt."

She refrained from saying what she wanted to, instead settling on laughing at his small humor. "We wouldn't want that. Now, what can I do for my Royal Ice Harvester?"

"It was suggested by Olaf that we offer tours to see your ice palace on the North Mountain. I said that it would make for good revenue, but I reminded him that it's a long way off, and that Marshmallow doesn't exactly like me."

"So what's the issue?"

"Olaf suggested you could freeze part of the fjord and create a replica palace on the ice to explore and tour."

"That is a surprisingly good idea for a simple snowman. I might just do that."

"It might also serve to help alleviate some of the tension your suitors feel; I've heard talk from roughly a third of them that they are only here because their parents demand it. They say the Queen is a scary ice witch not worthy of trusting, let alone marrying or, heaven forbid, bedding."

Elsa glowered in mock anger, fingers glistening with ice and snowflakes. "That they would make such hostile comments in my kingdom. I should send them all away." She paused, dropping the facade. "Actually, I would much prefer if I weren't expected to continue this charade."

Kristoff snorted. "You don't plan on taking one for your husband, despite what it would mean for Arendelle?"

"As far as I am currently aware, none of them have any of the qualities necessary for handling a kingdom. They're boys, Kristoff. If I am to take a husband to be the leader of Arendelle, he must not only stand strong for the kingdom, he must be a man, enough to be able to take care of me."

"Not many men will ever fit that bill."

"If any at all."

He sighed. "The suitors will be insatiable if you fail to choose."

"I'm aware. Kristoff...Do you trust me?"

"Less so than your sister, but yes."

"As both a queen and a woman?"

"Yes."

"You are aware that Anna will be helping to condense my endeavor so that we may send everyone home as quickly as possible?"

"Yes."

She sighed. "If...there runs the risk that something will happen, Kristoff, and if it all goes wrong, I need you to promise me that you'll keep Anna safe, no matter the struggle. If all else fails, keep Anna safe."

"Elsa...what would be driving you to say these things?"

"Fear, Kristoff." She looked around. "We aren't in my study, so I cannot openly speak, but suffice to say that fear is driving my words. There is trouble brewing here in Arendelle, whether because of the suitors, the townsfolk, or myself, I know not. Just promise me you'll keep Anna safe; Arendelle could survive without her queen, but without her princess the kingdom would be lost."

"I will."

"Do you swear to me?"

"I will take an oath of fealty if I must."

She let a trail of icy air slide across his palm, raising a snowflake across the skin. The queen's royal seal.

"Let that remind you. It's not permanent, but it should suffice."

"As you wish, Queen Elsa. Anna will be kept in good hands."

xXxXx

"...promise...keep Anna...survive without...princess...lost."

Her head swam; a myriad of techincolor images pulsed behind her shut eyelids, phasing her betwen dream and day as she attempted to stay asleep. She was so relaxed, so happy, and so warm."

"Do you swear to me?"

Swear? Swear what? To whom?

"Let that remind you. It's not permanent, but it should suffice."

Whoever the voice belonged to sounded like a judge or an army commander.

She cracked an eyelid open in time to see a burly man depart her field of view. The sunlight streaming through the window behind her cast an odd shadow over the ground, and for a moment she thought she was on a green sofa floating in a sea of blood.

She whipped upright, eyes splitting wide. A startled cry erupted from her left, and she looked down at a confused Elsa, hair askew, arms akimbo.

Two blinks. The blood transfigured into the plush red carpet of the library. Anna sighed, flopping back onto the couch. Elsa scoffed above her.

"Well, good afternoon to you too."

"I thought I saw something," Anna mumbled.

"Apparently it isn't what you thought you saw."

"Well, I was just having the most wonderful dream."

"Oh?"

Anna nodded, neglecting to say more. Elsa shifted to get comfortable, absently stroking Anna's hair.

"Care to elaborate?"

"You were there."

"Was I?"

"Mm-hm."

"And, um...what exactly was happening in this dream?"

"Nothing much. We were just in the garden, talking."

"Talking?"

"About each other. About Arendelle. About...forbidden things."

Anna felt her face heat up. Elsa cleared her throat.

"Probably a good thing it was a dream, then." She then bent over, drifting frosty breaths down Anna's neck as she whispered: "Or else we might be caught by nosy neighbors."

Anna shivered, though it had nothing to do with the cold. "I could tell you more later."

The queen failed to perceive it as innocently as Anna had meant. "I-I think maybe we could, um...we should wait to...to discuss something that...important..."

Anna blinked. "I didn't mean it like that, I just...Oh, dear..."

Her face grew warmer. Elsa dug her nails into the back of Anna's scalp, and were it not for her newfound sense of control she would have whimpered. As it was, she settled for curling her toes and clenching her fists.

"Elsa..."

"Sorry!" The hand unclasped her thick, red locks. Anna missed the touch as soon as it left.

"I-its okay, but...library," she whispered, hoping to convey her point. "Maybe, ah...later? When we...discuss...our matter of importance?"

She felt Elsa swallow. "Maybe."

"Your Majesty, Princess, dinner is nearly ready."

"We will be there shortly," Elsa replied, laying a soft hand on Anna's burning cheek. The red-head shivered again, bringing a faint smirk to Elsa's face. _If I can find my legs before then._

**_Yey for suggestive incestuousnessnessness...uck, long day and bored plus tired equals bad. I'll cut it short here; I love you all, my gentle snowflakes, and I'll see you again soon with Chapter 5. ~Kyttin_**


	5. This Icy Force

_**A/N: There's a lot of love from the Frozen community for this fic. I should probably note out in the summary that it's an Elsanna, but I'm trying not to focus too heavily on their relationship; I'm more interested in the dynamic of this story than how long they had sex the night before (and while that's a very sexy image to picture, it's not one I need to display to get the point across, though they won't be having sex in this piece in the foreseeable future). **_

_**Alright, so, two things: first, while there's a lot of love from this community, there are a lot of ghosts following my story. Why are you all so silent? Do I need to write longer chapters? More details? I did that with another story and I'm kinda slaughtering brains with how overly descriptive it is. I must thank LaraAelric, though; she's very interested in this fic, it seems. ChronoTriggerMan is also very into this story, and it's great to see my "impeccable" details aren't going unnoticed, even though I've skived off with them.**_

_**The second thing is this: I'm using a different style of writing. Normally, I write with a lot of adverbs and adverbial clauses and anything adverb-related because it's a very specific way of writing. However, more to the tune of Ernest Hemingway and Stephen King, I've read that "adverbs are the death of great writers," and so I'm being more nondescript and leaving the adverbs to speech as much as I possibly can (aside from my author's notes and my occasional slip, that is). It's tough having to censor my style so much, but hey, if I can pull it off for this fic and continue writing other fics hereafter with a similar style (aside from C:H-405, that is), then I'll be happy. **_

_**This story should follow a classic arc: protagonist(s), antagonist(s), problem, tension, climax, resolution. Not a very dark fic, I don't think, but I'll be sure to write one that's much more...evil...and angry. :D**_

_**After all that ranting, which I hope some people cared to read, this is Chapter 5 of This Calling.**_

* * *

_This Calling_

Chapter 5: This Icy Force

After spending the evening throwing snowballs across the ballroom at each other, the royal sisters had retired to Elsa's chambers, showering away the day's grime one at a time with longing looks and lingering touches. Anna had more difficulty letting Elsa retire to her own shower and insisted that the queen needed help scrubbing her back.

"Anna, please, let me bathe."

"You can't reach your back on your own. Let me help you."

"Anna," the queen growled.

"Oh fine, but when you come out dirty you can't blame me."

Anna flounced onto the bed, ruining the beautiful handiwork of the maids and taking every pillow on the bed under the comforter with her, giggling madly all the while.

xXxXx

Much as Elsa would have enjoyed admitting Anna into the shower, she doubted either of them would be able to handle the temptation such action would have employed. Too much, too soon.

Still, the idea made her tingle all over. Hands raking down naked skin, eyes glaring with lust at one another, hearts thrumming in time to the beat of their motions, escalating, climbing, scrabbling higher, higher, _higher_-

She shut off the water, body vibrating. Such lewd thoughts about her wonderful younger sister left her feeling ashamed. She toweled off, slipping into an exquisite silk night slip with a pair of velvet panties to cover her nethers. _Anna is a gift, and I will treasure her until I die._

The blonde stepped from the bathroom to see her bed in tattered ruins. She frowned.

"Anna?"

A giggle came from the bed. "Since it's too warm for a snowman, I thought I'd build a fort."

"A fort. Out of my good bed linens?"

Silence. "O-oh...sorry, Elsa...I'll fix it."

The red-head slipped from under the comforter, readjusting pillows and sheets, looking shamefaced.

"Anna, the only way you could fix this fort is if you involved the chairs and cushions.

Anna perked up. "You aren't...mad?"

"Mad? At having fun? You're alive and safe, so I can't really be mad about making a fort from my bed linens."

A squeal of laughter. "Then let's build an awesome fort together!"

And Elsa stepped forward, drawing chairs and couches toward the hearth, her sister draping the massive comforter over the backs and spreading pillows on the quilt-covered floor. Elsa sat with the grace her royal position required, giving Anna chance to flop onto her back, gaze trained on the snowflakes sewn into the downy ceiling overhead.

"Elsa?"

"Mmm?"

"Why are you always so tense?"

"Tense? I'm not tense."

Anna sat up and began kneading her sister's shoulders, causing the blonde to relax with a shudder. "Yes you are. Take off the slip and lay down."

She noticed the blonde snap to attention and gulp. "No, no, I'm not going to do anything reckless. You've got some knots that need work, though."

"And how would you know?"

Anna quirked a brow. "Maybe being stuck in here all the time has confused you, but the maids taught me how to give proper massages so that my, ah...'husband' would be pleased after a long day."

The blonde chuckled. With her back still to Anna, she pulled the slip over her head and laid it on the floor, laying atop on her stomach. Even without exposing herself, she felt estranged within her own skin, and being in front of Anna heightened the tension. She could almost feel her back straining to be straight.

"Oh..."

"What, what is it?"

"Nothing, just...you have a back that looks like it was carved by angels, but you're not an angel, you're magical, well but that could make you an angel I guess, but you don't have wings, though I guess you can fly without wings because you can create wind and all, but...sorry..."

Elsa chuckled. "And that's why the townsfolk love you, Anna. You're real and you blather and you're quirky."

With pursed lips and a burning face, Anna straddled her sister's backside and began squeezing and rolling the taut muscles beneath soft, pale skin. Elsa sighed in relief.

"Ohh, that feels _so _good..."

"Yeah, you're really tense," Anna grunted. She dug in with a stiff thumb and Elsa let slip a throaty moan that made the hair on the back of Anna's neck stand straight toward the ceiling.

"S-so, um...why are you always so tense?"

"Being queen has that disadvantage," Elsa mumbled.

"Still, don't you have any way to relax after a hard day?"

"Anna, this _is _how I relax."

"What about when I'm not here?"

"Most nights I either read a good book, usually cover to cover, or throw open the windows and let my snowflakes dance in the night."

"I bet that's wonderful to watch," Anna sighed, digging into a knot and rolling it apart.

"Ah!" Elsa clenched her fists and bit her lip. "Nngh..."

"Oh! I got one! Yes!"

The queen relaxed after a moment. "Sweet mother of Arendelle, that hurt."

"Feel better?"

"Extremely."

Anna giggled and went back to squeezing, lapsing into a comfortable silence in front of a warm, crackling fire.

"Are you ready for tomorrow?"

"I should be asking you that," Elsa returned.

"I'll be fine; they aren't my suitors and I won't be recommending them anyways."

"Anna, I need you to give me unbiased opinions so that I can at least feign innocence."

"Why Elsa, are you suggesting that you lie to all those eager young men out there?"

"I'm suggesting that I do-Urk!"

Anna laughed. "Found another one."

"T-that I do what's best for m-my kingdom," she sighed.

"But you can't do what's best for Arendelle if you don't do what's best for you, first."

"I don't even know what that is anymore, Anna. I was locked up for two thirds of my life, and on the day I was finally allowed out I sent Arendelle into a frozen winter for a week. I've never known what's 'best' for me because I was always told being kept in here was best for me."

"And now?"

"Now I don't know. I want to be out and free, but look at how everyone fears me. They see me as a heretic, a witch, some kind of inhuman spawn sent to destroy all of humanity."

"They don't fear you. They love you."

"They aren't you, Anna. They-eep!"

"There's one more..."

"Hoo-oo-oo, they just..." Gulp. "They see you as the day and me as the night. You're bright and happy and bring thoughts of summer and freedom, and I...I bring death and winter and isolation."

"And yet, I don't think a single person at the skating party earlier had any argument against you."

"They only like me when I can make it fun for them. With what I did in freezing the kingdom for a week, it would take a similarly huge event to undo that scarification."

"Then do it."

"It's not that simple. Not only does it take a lot of energy, but I don't even think I know what could sway the people in my favor."

"No ideas?"

"Kristoff suggested that aah!"

"There goes another! I'm so good at this."

"Y-yes you are, Anna. The maids taught you well."

Anna giggled. "Would you like a personal masseuse, Queen Elsa?"

"Only if it's you, Princess Anna."

"Then I accept."

"Oh, where was I? Ah, yes, Kristoff suggested that I recreate the ice palace of the North Mountain down here on an unused portion of the fjord, but I don't think it'll be enough."

"Could you bring the _aurora _here?"

"The _aurora_?"

"The, um..._borealis_? The northern lights of ancient lore."

Elsa blinked. "There's an idea-ah!"

Anna laughed. "You make such funny noises."

"Let me flip you over and squeeze your back. You try not making noise."

Anna went pink. "Elsa, shh!"

The queen went silent. Anna returned to massaging.

"How much practice have you had?"

"What, this? Not much, I just know what would feel good for me, so I'm hoping it works for you."

"It's definitely working. Hah!"

"There's another knot. I'm almost to the bottom of your spine."

"You certainly work fast."

"Hopefully it's got you relaxed."

"I could sleep tomorrow away and be happy."

"Your suitors wouldn't be so happy."

"Oh, forget them. I'm the queen, I can do what I want."

Anna laughed again. "There you are!"

"Here I am," Elsa returned with a cheeky grin.

"Ooh."

"What?"

"You have three of them right here."

"Ah! That hurt!"

"Better hang onto something, then."

Elsa groped for the tassles at the edge of the rug, clenching them in her fists.

"Ready?"

"Mmn, no, but I know better than to-ah!"

Anna rolled her knuckles, dropping her entire upper body into her arm. Elsa shrieked, blurting out a number of slurred expletives. Anna compressed the knot, feeling it roll and dissipate as her sister groaned and whimpered beneath her.

"Yikes, Elsa. If I weren't here with you right now, I'd swear you just..."

Elsa waved a limp hand. "N-no, but that was a close second..."

Anna chuckled. "Ready for bed?"

"Mm-hm."

"You might want your slip back on."

The queen huffed as Anna slid off, and without rising she formed a new slip out of icy crystals that glinted in the firelight. She sighed.

"Mmkay. Time for bed."

Anna helped hoist her sister by the armpits into a makeshift standing position. With her free arm, the red-head scooped up the blanket and pillows, dragging her sister and the linens to the bed. The blonde flopped onto the bed like a boiled noodle, forcing Anna to replace the comforter and pillows on the sheets.

"And earlier this afternoon, I fell asleep on you."

She slipped into bed, immediately finding a needy Elsa snuggled into her shoulder. She giggled.

"Night, Elsa."

"Night."

They shared a chaste kiss before dropping off into dreamland.

* * *

**_Writing a sisterly lesbian scene doesn't have to be bad if you respect the characters as individuals; heck, I was actually imagining my girlfriend rolling the knots out of my back and trying to tickle me along the way while writing this. Besides, Elsa is the only one Anna says "I love you" to in the movie, and it was classed as an act of true love, so...I know Disney would never support it, but I'm happy to break that rule. If it fits, it ships! Anyways, I love you all, my gentle snowflakes, and I will see you again soon in Chapter 6! _**

**_(As an aside: "my gentle snowflakes" is actually something I borrowed from Lewis Black's rant "Black on Broadway" in which he is screaming bloody murder about health and claims that "each and every one of you has a health that is unique to you! What's good for one of you will kill the person sitting next to you! We're different! We're all different and unique, because WE...are like SNOWFLAKES." I've been using it ever since in my post-chapter author's notes (as obvious by Never Give In and City: H-405). The phrase has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that this is a Frozen fic, though it doesn't hurt, right?)_**


	6. Foul and Fair

_**A/N: After waiting for about forty-eight hours for FFnet to come back, IT'S FINALLY HERE AGAIN! YAY~!**_

_**I highly encourage you all to go read my previous Author's Note, newcomers and returning parties alike. Actually, screw that, I'll just paste it here for you guys:**_

_****__**There's a lot of love from the Frozen community for this fic. I should probably note out in the summary that it's an Elsanna, but I'm trying not to focus too heavily on their relationship; I'm more interested in the dynamic of this story than how long they had sex the night before (and while that's a very sexy image to picture, it's not one I need to display to get the point across, though they won't be having sex in this piece in the foreseeable future). **_

_**Alright, so, two things: first, while there's a lot of love from this community, there are a lot of ghosts following my story. Why are you all so silent? Do I need to write longer chapters? More details? I did that with another story and I'm kinda slaughtering brains with how overly descriptive it is. I must thank LaraAelric, though; she's very interested in this fic, it seems. ChronoTriggerMan is also very into this story, and it's great to see my "impeccable" details aren't going unnoticed, even though I've skived off with them.**_

_**The second thing is this: I'm using a different style of writing. Normally, I write with a lot of adverbs and adverbial clauses and anything adverb-related because it's a very specific way of writing. However, more to the tune of Ernest Hemingway and Stephen King, I've read that "adverbs are the death of great writers," and so I'm being more nondescript and leaving the adverbs to speech as much as I possibly can (aside from my author's notes and my occasional slip, that is). It's tough having to censor my style so much, but hey, if I can pull it off for this fic and continue writing other fics hereafter with a similar style (aside from C:H-405, that is), then I'll be happy. **_

_**This story should follow a classic arc: protagonist(s), antagonist(s), problem, tension, climax, resolution. Not a very dark fic, I don't think, but I'll be sure to write one that's much more...evil...and angry. :D**_

_**And now, on to Chapter 6 of This Calling.**_

* * *

_This Calling_

Chapter 6: Foul and Fair

"Queen Elsa and Princess Anna, your meal awaits. You will be spending the day with Prince Juan of the Spanish Empire and Prince Geoff of the Royal Dutch Family, respectively. Any questions or objections?"

"None, sir. Thank you."

The butler bowed and stepped out, shutting the doors. Elsa turned to see a rather disgruntled looking Anna pouting at her. The blonde couldn't resist a giggle.

"Something the matter?"

"Your _suitors_ are the matter."

"Why Anna, are you jealous of a few measley boys?"

"No!" She huffed, crossing her arms and looking away. The act soon fell to pieces. "Okay, _yes, _I'm jealous of you spending time with boys. I'm jealous of you spending time with _anyone_ that isn't me, in fact, because you aren't spending that time with me instead."

Elsa sighed, chuckling. "There isn't much I can do about it, Anna. Besides, you agreed to help me, and the sooner we can send them off the sooner we can spend more time together."

"You're the queen, Elsa. You have papers and agreements and meetings and inquiries and public appearances and other...queenly stuff to do! And I get it, you're good at it and you're the hope for Arendelle, and you're doing the best you can and making the city prosper, and you're trying to hide your ice powers from the kingdom, even though they already know and don't fear you from it; well, some do, but they're feckless and don't deserve mention, but everyone else likes you and wants you to stay, and you're so level-headed, but Elsa..." Anna paused long enough to draw breath, losing the sparkle of admiration from her eyes to be replaced by abject sorrow. "Elsa...you're so busy all the time, and you'll be just as busy after they're gone. I...I don't know if you'll have time for me."

A vein pulsed in the blonde's temple. Her heart shook at seeing her sister so small, the usual inferno no longer ablaze with light and wonder, instead replaced by a simple candle that flickered, helpless in a wind caused by circumstances far beyond its means of control. Elsa drew herself up to her full height, face flushed pink.

"Now you listen and you listen well, Anna. I am your sister before I am the queen, and my duties will be cast aside for you if they must. You are a proud, wonderful, enlightening woman, and I'm proud to call you my younger sister. Arendelle loves you. I love you. And if I have to forfeit my magic to keep you close to me at all times...if I have to give up everything just to build a snowman with you...then I will. Nothing will stand in my way, Anna."

The hopeful aquamarine eyes that lit up Anna's round face gazed at her elder sister with a newfound respect. "Y-you would?"

"Every day for the rest of my life, if it meant I could keep you close and safe."

Anna sniffled, then burst into tears. Elsa giggled and drew her sister close.

"You're worth more to me than any prince or princess trying for my hand _combined. _I know it's hard, Anna. These next few days will be a test of our patience and our perseverance. But you're strong, stronger than I am," she whispered, her mind drifting back to the terrifying memory of her only sister frozen solid, protecting her elder from certain death. "And I know you can pull through this. You...you froze, Anna, and you still managed to thaw out again. If that doesn't scream 'strength,' then I don't think I know what does."

Anna drew a shaky breath. "You are my strength."

Elsa felt her body melt under the warmth of Anna's embrace and was thankful they were leaning on one another for physical and mental support. Facing the suitors became a much more tolerable task than it had seemed just fifteen minutes prior.

"We'd better get ready to face the suitors. We should be downstairs waiting for them when they arrive for breakfast."

Anna nodded into her sister's slip, clinging tighter to the silk fabric. Elsa materialized an icy brassiere and melted the former slip in Anna's hands, stepping back and away as her younger sister's red face glared after her with unrestrained longing. It was all the blonde could do not to return to Anna and ravish her with kisses, one for each fleck of cinnamon dust on her cheeks and nose.

xXxXx

The doors opened on well-oiled hinges, revealing a dashing young man with dark mahogany-colored hair and eyes like coals, burning with passion and activity where they rested. His simple white suit with red lapels and buttons bedecked his agile frame with a grace fitting for his posture and regality.

"Prince Juan of the Spanish Empire."

Elsa nodded once, gesturing to a chair directly across the table from her plate, where rested a platter and silverware polished to an exquisite shine. The prince smiled, lips kept together by gentle, practiced grace, his handsome features only becoming more defined as his strong jaw protruded from taut, tanned skin. He stepped toward the chair with deliberate strides, taking obvious time and care to carry himself with elegance and sophistication.

Elsa and Anna glanced at one another, the queen with a quirked brow and a soft smirk, the princess with wide eyes. The meaning was unmistakable: Prince Juan was the epitome of royalty. Elsa could not lie to herself, not even upon seeing a natural freckle above his left eyebrow and his disheveled hair styled with what could only be a special Spanish berry for volume and hold. Were she not so smitten with Anna, she would be sizing the man up like a lion gazes upon a gazelle.

Her rough inspection, however, revealed that not all was as it seemed. _The shoulders are too stiff; there's something beneath the suit supporting them. Thin arms, thin legs, probably a thin torso. Hasn't done an honest day's work in his life. Hands are small and dainty, not at all becoming of a young gentleman. Good posture, practiced gaze and smile, but he keeps his mouth closed, perhaps to hide rotting teeth? What about that high collar, then? Bruises on his neck from a concubine?_

Pause. Elsa recalled that her own coronation wear had consisted of a high, stiff collar, though she waved that aside in lieu of her dress the purple of royalty, a shimmering blue crocus strung across her chest and at the tail end of the gown. The hem of the dress reached just below her knees; the collar cut partway between the hollow of her throat and the swell of her bosom. Gone were the stiff dresses she'd once worn, replaced by icons of pride and power.

The doors opened once more. "Prince Geoff of the Royal Dutch Family."

A pudgy blonde-haired man waddled into the room, though calling him a man would be a bit of an overstatement if the peach fuzz on his upper lip was anything for Elsa to judge by. To avoid snorting aloud, she reached for her glass of cider and took a light sip, wetting her tongue with the crisp, tart drink.

His white shirt was halfway untucked. His hair was a mess, not at all controlled the way Juan's was. His pants were wrinkles, the jacket inside-out, one glove slotted onto the wrong fingers. He had a bleary look in his eyes, as though he had only just woken moments before. It was a miracle his shoes had managed to be tied.

Elsa caught Anna attempting to control a fit of laughter out of her peripheral view. With a sly hand, she touched her sister's knee, shushing the red-head's obvious giggles. Taking a leaf from the queen's book, the princess groped for her own glass of cider, knocking it about and only just catching it without spilling its contents all over the silk tablecloth. Elsa chanced a glance at Juan, noting with mute distaste that the man had a smirk dug into his cheek. _I'm the queen, I'm allowed to laugh; you're a prince from a different kingdom, you have no right. Wipe that snake grin from your face before I dismiss you from my hall._

And just as she'd seen it, so it then disappeared. Geoff sat down in the chair across from Anna, sniffing and clearing his throat, eyes thick with sleep.

"I apologize to our fair Queen Elsa of Arendelle for my appearance this morning; sleep was naught to be found last night when trouble stirred up my father's ship and my aid was requested in stifling the commotion. I understand that lack of proper rest and revitalization should be no excuse for poor appearance and hygiene, and I ask not for your forgiveness, only for your understanding...and possibly a moment after the meal to freshen up, if you'll allow such."

Elsa was taken aback, though she kept her composure. "Thank you for your honesty, Prince Geoff. I appreciate that it matters so much to you that I be informed of events as they happen to my suitors, and I would be more than willing to grant you time after the meal to gather yourself together...provided Anna has no objection, that is."

"O-oh, no, not at all! Not that you're smelly or nasty or..." She cleared her throat. "Er, what I mean is, you're perfectly welcome to freshen up if you wish."

"I thank you both most kindly," the blonde man replied. His deep, gruff voice was a stark contrast to the boyish look of his face, spinning Elsa and Anna both into a state of semi-confusion.

"Well, with that out of the way, I am Queen Elsa of Arendelle, and this is my sister Princess Anna of Arendelle. It is my pleasure to host you in my humble kingdom, and my hope that a wonderful day can be started with a hearty meal hand-prepared by Arendelle's finest chefs."

The doors to the kitchen banged open, spewing six toque-clad chefs, aprons adorned with chrome-plated buttons that glimmered in the sunlight of the tall stained glass windows. Large silver platters slid onto the table between the plates and vases of flowers, unveiling a myriad of wonderful delectables ready to be swallowed. Elsa could imagine the look on Anna's face at seeing the chocolate fondue pot sitting astride a large collection of fruits.

With practiced grace, Elsa plucked a strawberry from the cornucopia, noting with mute interest that the color matched the more woody variant of her sister's hair. The thought brought a warm smile to her face, and she bit into the berry, extracting a small chunk of rich-flavored tart to chew and roll around her mouth. She teased the fruit apart with her molars, squeezing the juice into a pulp, reminding herself that she was technically checking for poisoned food.

"The food is safe," she murmured to the others, eyes flitting about to the three of them in earnest.

Anna ate like Anna usually ate: fast, reckless, and without poise or practice. Watching her sister eat reminded her of the way a wolf might consume a wild hare caught in its powerful jowls. At least a small piece of normalcy could be found at her rather unconventional breakfast.

Juan seemed to eat much like a bird with a ravenous hunger: pecking at the food, always seeming to want more, but never willing to open its beak wide enough to take more in. And more interesting was the way he seemed to be sneaking larger chunks of food into his mouth when he thought he was unnoticed.

Geoff ate with a politeness much unlike his rotund exterior would suggest. He seemed to savor every bite he took, tasting and teasing the food with delicacy much unlike what would be expected of a normal man his size and build. He then seemed to notice the queen casting cursory glances around, and cleared his throat.

"Queen Elsa, your dining hall...forgive me, but it is very astounding."

"I beg your pardon?"

"The windows, the glass, its stain, it reminds me of the journey my father once took me on to England, the time we visited the Sistine Chapel so that he could speak of royal affairs with the Pope. These windows...they look very much like the ones of the Chapel. And the beautiful tapestries...there is so much in this room that is reminiscent of the great church."

Elsa was impressed. She felt inclined to speak.

"My great-great-grandfather visited the Chapel back when he was a boy, on a journey with his father for much the same reason as yours. He built this room in honor of the great church, out of the fascination he had for it as a child. Of course, he could never truly capture its astounding magnificence, but...for you to notice must mean he had a viable amount of success."

"The similarities are striking. I only recognize the style because I can recall gazing about like a wee lad, wanting to drink in the room the way my brother could drink a keg. Your grandfather did a marvelous job, if Her Highness doesn't mind my saying so."

"Not at all, Prince Geoff. I'm rather...astonished that you would recognize something others would regard as inane or unimportant."

She noted with satisfaction that Juan reached for his cider, sipping from the glass to cover the hasty twinge of pink across his cheekbones. Perhaps the young prince was uneducated or uncaring. Given that she had to spend the day with him, she hoped he would at least prove to be amusing company, even if she would refuse to become smitten with him.

The meal finished in amicable silence, the queen popping one last strawberry into her mouth and letting the tangy juice rush down her throat in earnest. She swallowed, finished her cider, and stood, elegance and command seeping from her body.

"Right. This shall conclude the meal. We will all reconvene here this evening for dinner, but for now it is time for us all to part ways and prepare ourselves for the day to come. Please be certain to remember that we are all in the company of fellow royalties, and that we should hope to conduct ourselves with mannerisms in accordance."

Anna stood, dabbing her mouth on a napkin. Both sisters curtseyed to the men, paying due respects, and left the room without a backwards glance.

* * *

**_I could have kept going. But it was late when I finished, and I didn't really have anything else to say. Next chapter should be interesting for everyone. I love you all, my gentle snowflakes, and I'll see you again soon in Chapter 7! ~Kyttin  
_**

**__****_(As an aside: "my gentle snowflakes" is actually something I borrowed from Lewis Black's rant "Black on Broadway" in which he is screaming bloody murder about health and claims that "each and every one of you has a health that is unique to you! What's good for one of you will kill the person sitting next to you! We're different! We're all different and unique, because WE...are like SNOWFLAKES." I've been using it ever since in my post-chapter author's notes (as obvious by Never Give In and City: H-405). The phrase has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that this is a Frozen fic, though it doesn't hurt, right?)_**


	7. Cannot Fight

_**A/N: So many ghosts following this story, so few talking about it. Yeah, I have another quick update. It turns out I can write about 2000-3000 words a night if I sit and work for an hour on my iPad, which is pretty good given how small the keys are. In practice, I should be moving more at about 4000-6000 words an hour (I have a rate of 72wpm), but I can only do that distraction-free at my mechanical keyboard, and distractions are easily found around the wonderful internet. **_

_**I really wish you guys would tell me how I'm doing. I might lose motivation for this piece...I HOPE not; this is more fun and challenging than I've written in a while (due to the style change), and I'm not restricting myself to word count (CH405 is around 5000 words per chapter), so it's easier going, but I don't want to be typing away every night for nobody to tell me if this is good or crap.**_

_**Sorry. I'm a writer. Writers are needy people. We're very fickle and very easily pleased...most of the time. Enough of me; here's Chapter 7.**_

* * *

_This Calling_

Chapter 7: Cannot Fight

Anna was most surprised at seeing the transformation that overtook Prince Geoff: allowing the man to bathe had freed the sleep from his eyes and the mess from his presentation. A soft cotton tunic dyed a subdued orange was tucked into a pair of suede breeches that bunched at the knee and had a glittering quality to their stitches, despite being black in color. Argyle socks fed into leather shoes that appeared to be an odd combination of a moccasin and a clog. She felt her eyebrows slide toward her hairline as he flicked a loose strand of blonde hair behind his ear with a practiced ease; he had cleaned up rather well and, if Anna were to be honest with herself and her sister, he looked rather dashing, pudge and all. He bowed for her, to which she curtseyed as best as her own soft cotton breeches permitted. She had taken it upon herself to change into a simple black bodice with the crocus of Arendelle threaded into the fabric, the trademark snowflake filling the plant's background.

"I love what you have done with your hair," the man commented. Anna felt heat rise at her collar.

"What, this?" She flicked her pigtails from her shoulders and adjusted the bands so the bundles hung lower, keeping them away from her face. "This is...this is so simple. It isn't even fancy or amazing."

"Sometimes the most simple of things can make for the most amazing of circumstances. You look...very put together, Princess."

"O-oh, well...uh, thank you. You look a lot better; I mean, well, the whole lack of sleep thing kinda made you look like a bear, not that I think you're a bear or anything, not unless you're a stuffed toy bear, but you aren't exactly a toy, you're...Oh, I'm so sorry," she quieted. The prince grinned.

"Do not be sorry, Princess Anna. It is refreshing to hear a woman such as yourself speak so freely. Most of the women twined to the Royal Family are...more apt to maintaining silence. Today should be invigorating, with you as my accompaniment."

Anna giggled. "You're so formal."

"Where I come from, formality and manners are of the utmost importance. Great leaders of the past have been disrespected and mistreated because they lacked formality and manners. The Royal Family seeks to ensure that its descendants and disciples all learn the ways of proper sophistication."

"Yeah, well...I'm not the queen. I'm not a ruler of a country. I'm just...me. Just Anna. So...don't worry about the whole 'princess' thing, okay?"

"As you wish, Anna. Given that circumstance, it is only fitting that I permit you to call me Geoff as well. Names are very powerful creatures."

She smiled, a genuine display of joy and content. He nodded, letting a small smile grace his lips in return.

"So, um...what are we going to be doing today?"

"I would have liked to see if Anna had anything she wanted to do in particular today before voicing my own suggestion."

"Oh, um, that's alright. I'm helping my sister learn who her suitors are, so what I want to do isn't-"

"Do not discount yourself, Anna. You are your own woman. Be proud of who you are, and speak up for yourself."

She blinked. "Uh...w-well, then, in that case, the only thing I could think of wanting to do today is...oh," she mumbled, gazing out the window. "Building a snowman in the summer might be hard to do."

Geoff let a great laugh rumble from his belly. Anna felt the joy of it quivering in her bones; it was all she could do not to laugh along with him. "In my country, snow and ice are common for six months of the year. Fortunately for us, my suggestion is along a similar thread to your desire to build a snowman."

Anna stared.

"Come. We will need only to venture aboard the vessel that brought me to this fair kingdom so that I may retrieve a few of my things. The only thing I will need is some ice, which may be difficult to attain in the summer."

"Are you kidding? My best friend is the Royal Ice Harvester of Arendelle. Nobody knows ice the way he does."

xXxXx

"Prince Juan. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Elsa curtseyed for the man in the suit; she hadn't changed her outfit, unlike her younger sister, and thus encountered no difficulty with breeches. The prince bowed.

"Queeen Elsa of Arendelle. You are even more beautiful up-close."

Elsa had to fight her mouth from curling into a sour pucker. "Thank you. I trust that your voyage from the Spanish Empire went well?"

The man dragged a lazy, gloved hand through his tousled hair. "The trip was long, probably made longer by the fact that only salty ocean water surrounded the ship for many hundreds of leagues."

_The ocean has a nasty habit of being like that. _"I see."

"Arendelle is very warm for being so far north. Is it normal to be so warm at this time of year?"

"We've had an unusually warm summer this year." _Though, the sun did nothing to thaw the snow I brought..._

"I wondered if something was strange around here. Ah! We've dallied too much! The day is moving without us, Your Highness, and if you don't mind I have something we can do that you might enjoy."

"I am eager _(for this day to be over) _to see what you have in store for me today."

"Wonderful. Today, I teach you the dance of the Spaniards. You will learn to twirl like a dandelion, to strut like a lotus, and to bend gracefully like the crocus on your dress."

_Pervert. _"Do show me, in the ballroom perhaps?"

"I prefer the open air of the courtyard; much more freedom to move."

_And stones to trip over. _"Of course."

xXxXx

"Oh my..."

"Is it to your liking?"

"How...how did you...?"

"It does not take an artist to appreciate the beauty you hold, Anna."

"Kristoff, are you seeing what he did with your block of ice?"

"I think I'm gonna cry."

The mountain man sniffled, earning a chuckle from the suitor. He held the sculpture for Anna to grasp, letting her take hold of it with due care and disbelief.

"How...how did you carve me so small? And out of ice!"

"Ice is a very strong core. Outside, ice is hard, sharp, fierce. Ice is very difficult to work with. But once the shell begins to melt, and the inside shows itself, ice has a beautiful magic that cannot be spoken, cannot be drawn or painted, cannot be thought of, for the ice will defy any and all human attribute used to describe it. Ice is an ancient, powerful natural magic, one that commands respect with the promise of death and ruin but has the fragility of an egg shell underfoot."

"You're so passionate about ice. Kristoff, I think Geoff has you beat."

"He could very well be a long-lost brother of mine. I was raised by trolls, after all."

Geoff let loose another hearty laugh. "More like distant cousin. There is not enough Dutch in you to be my brother."

"But you're so good at working with ice. Ice is my _life _and I don't think I could make that."

"Sometimes, big people have appreciation for small details, and small people can visualize the big picture better."

Anna smiled, holding the ice sculpture in soft hands. "Meet me on the docks for lunch; I'm gonna go put this in E-the queen's room, so it doesn't melt."

"But of course."

xXxXx

"You're rather light on your feet, for someone who hasn't ever danced before."

"Why, thank you. You've got quite the talent, for someone who has only been dancing for two years."

"Ahh, the art of dance runs in my heritage. As does the production of fine wine," he grinned, drawing a glass bottle from within a simple wicker basket. Elsa quirked a brow.

"Your family made this?"

"My great-grandfather came up with a recipe for fine wine, and purchased a small share of land from the local vineyard. His wine built a reputation, for he managed to age the wine to perfection almost overnight, and within a year he had taken over the entire vineyard and was selling wine by the keg. It's how my family came to know money, and it's how my grandfather moved into power. The old royal family of the Spanish Empire didn't have an heir, so the title went to the richest contender."

_Something isn't quite aligning with that story._ "This must be a fine wine indeed, then, for it to be aged tto perfection overnight."

"This bottle is actually almost a century old. I believed that meeting the queen of Arendelle was reason enough to uncork it."

_How unromantic. A valiant effort, but uninspiring. _"Fair enough."

He popped the cork, producing two clear glasses from within the basket. "A toast, to the life and prosperity of Arendelle."

Elsa clinked her glass against his, drawing a delicate sip into her mouth. Immediate numbness plagued her tongue and her throat as the liquid burned its way down to her stomach. She opened her mouth to cry for her sister, a guard, Olaf, _anyone_, but found her vocal muscles unresponsive at her urge. Her eyelids felt heavy, her breathing slowing down with dangerous deceleration.

"Queen Elsa?"

His voice seemed to come from some place between her ribs and her belly button, thrumming from within and flowing about, never manifesting in one spot longer than a few fractions of a second. Her skin grew icy, colder than she'd ever let it go, and her eyes slid closed without restraint. She had not even the energy to groan.

"Queen Elsa!"

A faraway voice in a faraway land from a faraway man. She felt the last dregs of her consciousness slip away as a familiar, red-haired, cinnamon-dusted face graced her dreams.

xXxXx

"I had a wonderful time today, Geoff."

"You are pleasant company to keep, Anna. I am glad you enjoyed your day."

Anna pushed open the doors to the dining room, only to run smack into a waiter. He apologized, bowed, and let his panicked gaze settle upon Anna's curious eyes.

"Princess!"

"What's wrong?"

"It's the Queen."

"Is she not feeling well?"

"She's gone!"

Anna struggled to process the information. "Gone? Gone how?"

"Just that: gone! As is the prince she was with."

Anna darted out of the dining room and toward the only window on the first floor that would allow her an uninterrupted view of Arendelle's harbor. She scanned the docks, heart pumping frantic pulses of blood into her agitated body.

"The Cross of Burgundy is missing," Geoff said.

"What?"

"The flag of the Spanish Empire. It is a red cross over a white background. The ship and its flag are no longer in the harbor."

Anna scanned the horizon, looking to see if the ship were visible anywhere.

"I am sorry, Anna, but it seems as though the ship has left. Perhaps the queen has chosen her suitor."

"No, no, that can't be right! We were supposed to discuss the suitors! She would never take him!"

An icy rivulet of water slipped down her cheek. She remembered the glaciated crown atop her head.

"I-I mean, you saw the way he was looking at her; she isn't that sort of woman! No, something's wrong. I...they...kidnap. _Kidnap!_"

Anna whirled to face a throng of confused castle staff.

"Queen Elsa of Arendelle has been kidnapped by Prince Juan of the Spanish Empire," she cried, and all hell broke loose.

* * *

**_This chapter's title doesn't quite follow the normal scheme of things. Go pay attention to the other six titles; you'll understand. I'm using a bit of my creative development (license?) to play around. Anyways, I love you all, my gentle snowflakes, and I pray that you'll give me some comments (good or bad) before I post Chapter 8. ~Kyttin _**


	8. This Calling

_**A/N: This is the shortest chapter written for this story thusfar, but it's pretty informative for what it's worth. Stevie King says that a story is at perfection when nothing more can be cut from it, and I think I'm pretty darn close with this chapter. Not to say that I'm proud of it being short; I had hoped it would be longer, but circumstance and chapter content dictated the length to me, not my desire for word count.**_

_**Some questions will be answered, and more will arise.**_

_**Oh, and I'd like to THANK YOU ALL for the reviews I received. You've thawed me enough to make me want to update earlier than normal. Hopefully I can have Chapter 9 done by tomorrow night and Chapter 10 by Friday night, but no guarantees. Just...pop by every couple of chapters and let me know what you think, yeah? I do read every word with much appreciation, be it positive feedback or negative feedback.**_

_**Special thanks to LaraAelric for the extensively long reviews. Your analysis is more valuable than you realize in helping determine the flow of this story.**_

_**TRIGGER WARNING FOR THOSE WHO ARE TOO SOFT TO DIVE IN HEAD-LONG: MENTION OF RAPE OCCURS IN THIS CHAPTER.**_

_**And now, you may move into reading Chapter 8.**_

* * *

_This Calling_

Chapter 8: This Calling

Anna watched with baited breath and icy hands as the scouting ships of the Arendelle armada fled the harbor, in eager pursuit of the Spanish frigate. Kristoff laid a hand on her shoulder.

"They will find her, and they will bring her back."

"I have a very bad feeling about this, Kristoff."

"Arendelle has a strong queen," Geoff said. "She will not be taken out of commission quite so easily by one crazy Spaniard."

"How do you know?"

"Because I saw the palace yesterday when the scuffle broke out on my ship. Anyone who could make such a thing with only her willpower is a fierce adversary against any opponent. She will persevere, just as the ice she created had done."

"I hope so, Geoff." She swallowed, throat raspy and tight.

"I hope so."

xXxXx

Elsa felt the dregs of sleep fade away as she came to, sitting bolt upright and rattling the chains clasped around her wrists. Shackles bound her hands in tight, metallic prisons. Chains draped from her shoulders, the collar around her neck rattling as she attempted to stand. She made three steps toward the door, links hissing like snakes from the ankles and waist they lashed to, before the collar began to throttle her windpipe. She stepped back, gazing about to discern her location with no success.

The door squeaked open, revealing none other than the cutthroat Prince Juan, a dark glimmer to his blackened eyes, handsome features scalded by a foreboding aura. He chuckled.

"I must say, Queen Elsa of Arendelle, I had no idea you could be taken down so easily. Then again, Hans did say he'd learned from his previous mistakes. Though, perhaps he overdid it with the _feverfew_, considering you've been asleep for almost three days."

"Hans? What relevance does he serve?"

"He is an ambassador. His negotiations have given us his elder brother Lyle as the best general our armada has ever seen, and now his tactics have once again proven fruitful in granting us the most powerful weapon we could ever have asked for."

The devil himself took the opportunity to push through the door to the cell. He smiled at the queen, charm and glee in his expression.

"Thank you, Juan, for your service. Normally, I wouldn't have requested the king's son to do something so trivial, but who better to bring Elsa to me than the best assassin of the Spanish Empire?"

He handed a hefty sack to Juan that jingled when it moved.

"I shall leave you with her," Juan said. He departed the cell, and Hans grinned.

"Feels almost like home, doesn't it? I seem to recall having you chained inside a cell much like this one only a month ago. Don't you tire of being a prisoner?"

Elsa spat at his feet. "I'm not your prisoner. Release me."

He laughed aloud. "Oh, no, I'm afraid I can't do that, just as I couldn't the first time. You're my new weapon, Elsa. You're the icy vengeance. And you're such a beautiful woman, to boot. Such a shame."

"Am I a woman, then? Or am I a weapon," she growled, jerking the manacles about.

"Oh, you're more than that, love. So much more. You, Queen Elsa, are the catalyst. You're the witch of the millenium, the force this world has been begging for since the milky teat of the blessed Ice Age ran dry. And I, Prince Hans of the Southern Isles," he drawled, lowering his face and bringing it very near to hers, "am here as the savior, to squeeze every little snowflake from you, to crush every last sadistic drop of black magic sorcery from your naked, tortured, ruined body. And I fully intend to do so, and you will let me, because you have no choice in the matter."

He stepped back, a haughty smile on his face. She laughed.

"I sent you home once, and I can do it again, Hans. Don't think I've forgotten that you tried to kill my sister so you could have my kingdom to yourself."

"I hope you haven't, because I intend to release that rage when the time is right. I hope to wreak your anger and vengeance upon the world and take it as my own conquest, to rule with an icy fist, my beautiful little weapon at my side, completely loyal to me and me alone. And I can do it, and I will do it, and you will help me unconditionally, if for only one reason, Queen Elsa."

"Anna," she whispered, the fight draining from her muscles.

"Yes. Anna. Once again, she is your weakness, for more reasons than one, it seems. My sources have it that you are quite smitten with her, and that she is very much the adventurous individual she was at the time of my visit. Such a shame, for the queen to be corrupting her sister, the princess. Arendelle will damn you for such an atrocity and condemn you both to exile, leaving the kingdom with a power vacuum that I still intend to fill. That is, should anybody find out."

"Exile doesn't frighten me."

"The thought of your sister's subsequent death should."

Her throat ran dry.

"You see, Elsa, this time I have all the cards. You cannot protect your sister if I declare she be publicly executed by guillotine right in her very own courtyard. And I can assure you it would happen, by sleight of hand, and that you would be forced to watch as her pretty little head left her pretty little shoulders and spilled her pretty crimson blood all over the pretty little people, and all the ugliness within revealed for everyone to see. That is...should you decide to try and vouch against me. I have the upper hand, Elsa. This time, it's my game."

Elsa felt unrestrained fury erupt in her veins, and without warning ice blasted across her skin and solidified against the chains. Hans laughed.

"I wouldn't if I were you. These chains are made of a special type of metal, courtesy of the Spaniards themselves. You see, it expands with heat, and contracts with cold. And the more ice you add to them..."

The collar around her neck began to squeeze tighter, restricting her airflow. She felt a painful pressure around her hands, her ankles, her shoulders and hips, all being crushed by the frigid metal. She willed herself back into control, the metal receeding at a much slower rate than it had contracted.

"Have I made my point that escape is not an option?"

She glared at him. "You're a monster!"

He laughed, the sound echoing around the hollow room. "No, Queen Elsa of Arendelle. I am the god of the new world in development. _You _are the monster, the storm waiting to be unleashed. You are the angel of death that will begin my new reign of this dreadful world. All I am to you is the mirror to show you the truth."

He reached around the door, pulling a full-length mirror into the cell and placing it between them. "And now you have a mirror to see yourself as you are, so that you may realize what you have become."

And with that, he slammed the door.

Elsa didn't want to look. She feared what she would find. And yet, her chin tilted back up, eyes opening against her volition, and she felt the tears well in her eyes at the sight of her blonde hair, once long and thick, hacked into a ruined bob and caked with dirt. She took in the sight of her frayed dress, the sight of one bare breast leering at her from a lewd gash in the material, the splintered ends of the dress that only just covered her mid-thighs,

the trickle of cold blood that ran down the insides of her thighs, the pain that flared in her lower belly and between her legs

She couldn't handle it. The one part of her life that she'd held onto, despite losing her sanity, her dignity, her kingdom, her life altogether, had all paled to her innocence, and with a choked sob, she came to the harsh realization that it had been taken from her, that the woman she loved could never share in that special moment with her, and she retched, spilling the remaining wine from her stomach as she sobbed.

And she only hoped that her suffering had at least ensured that Anna was spared.

* * *

**_The second reason I offered thanks to LaraAelric is because (s)he (I assume is female?) commented that an oral sedative-hypnotic drug should take a certain length of time to manifest into unconsciousness. I had originally used Propofol as my envisioned drug of choice, but that particular high-powered sedative is in limited supply and wasn't available in the era this story takes place (which is the same era the movie took place; somewhere mid-1800's), not to mention the requirement for being administered intravenously (directly to the bloodstream), so because someone bothered to point this out, I had to backpedal and do some research:_**

**_"Feverfew" is a common name for a plant (Tanacetum parthenium) that has medicinal merits as an anti-inflammatory and (formerly) fever-reducer. In addition, it is known to have various amounts of Melatonin in natural growth. Melatonin, as you may or may not know, is a hormone secreted by the pituitary gland in the brain that induces drowsiness and general fatigue, and is usually the signal that it's time for you to go to bed at the end of the day (People with insomnia often suffer from low levels of the Melatonin hormone). Interestingly enough, the plant is native to the eastern coast/hemisphere of the Mediterranean Sea, which had sections of Spanish Empire occupation and influence through the late 1800's. And, as far as Melatonin goes, in a high enough oral concentration, with the right metabolism and a strong heartbeat, all the hormone need do is travel through the bloodstream and put the body to sleep in little more than, say...ten minutes tops. Originally I had planned to use Stinking or Deadly Nightshade (one of the variants), but not even Elsa the Snow Queen could counter a lethal poison against her human heart. Oh yes, kids, I did my fucking HOMEWORK. HA._**

**_It is only by pure coincidence that the title of this chapter and the title of the story are the same, and that the content in the chapter is reflective of both. Pay attention to the chapter titles and you'll notice a sort of 'pattern' I'm playing at, though I'm taking some artistic liberty in altering part of the pattern. I shall post a more concrete 'analysis' of sorts when I reach Chapter 16 (if the story goes that long, which I do anticipate it will) to make everything clear.  
_**

**_I know, I know, you all probably hate me for that ending, and I know I said this wasn't going to get dark, but I've decided that I'll let you see the more sinister side of me that isn't often exposed during City: H-405's pages (or the other pieces of work I've created). It managed to keep me in the loop, and it earned applause from my girlfriend (who isn't one typically found holding a book). Regardless of my insanity and conniving brain, I love you all, my gentle snowflakes, and I'll see you all again in Chapter 9 really soon! ~Kyttin_**


	9. Cut Through the Ice

_**A/N: I would really enjoy some feedback about Chapter 8, readers. Guests, ghosts, fans, haters, whoever you may be, if you read all the way through Chapter 8 (not necessarily my Author's Notes, but the chapter content), I would love to hear your thoughts. You see, it's come to my attention that the closure of the chapter was rather...sudden, let's say. I just want to know what everyone's impressions were. And at least two readers have vocalized their dissatisfaction with my prior chapter, so...Just as a precaution from here out about anything I write, I read a LOT of Stephen King when I was younger. Expect ANYTHING to happen. **_

* * *

_This Calling_

Chapter 9: Cut Through the Ice

Ten days passed in tense silence, leaving the suitors to meander about the city, aimless without a queen to woo. Kristoff had departed for the mountains, Anna had shut herself in her room, informing the guards that the suitors were to be monitored at all times for suspicious behavior. Arendelle had fallen still in the waters without its queen to lead it.

"Princess Anna, you may wish to open your door."

She stumbled to the massive oak barricade and cracked it open.

"What for?"

"The search party has returned."

She immediately tossed the door wide, letting it smash against the wall with a loud thud. Her feet seemed to float across the ground as she bolted for the harbor, skirting most obstacles in her path; in several instances, she plowed headlong into a suitor or a stray maid and tumbled into a somersault, resuming her flight as soon as she regained footing. So fast was she that only the faintest trace of honeysuckles and a wisp of red, undulating hair stuck in the minds of passerby.

She reached the docks as the first ship tied off. Impatient feet bounced her figure to and fro as she waited for the gangplank to drop, and without a second of further hesitation she sprinted aboard, startling the throng of sailors as she beelined to the captain. She brought her hands up against his broad chest to steady herself, breath coming in ragged gasps.

"What...news?"

"We journeyed to the Spanish Empire and made inquiries, had a hearing with the king, even scoured the coast of the Red Sea, but the only information we learned was from the king himself, that his son Juan and his daughter Maria fled the country months ago. Not even the captain of their armada had any inkling what happened."

Anna slumped against the wheel, eyes downcast as the tears threatened to fall. "Nothing?"

"I'm sorry, princess."

She drew a shaky breath. "She could be anywhere."

"It is possible the worst has come to pass, and that Arendelle will look to you for strength and leadership."

Anna reached up, touching the icy tiara with a shaking hand. "My sister made this with her magic. It hasn't melted yet. She's still alive."

"Wherever she is, she is with Juan and Maria, and nobody has heard tell of them save for their sighting here in Arendelle after months of silence."

"What did the king say?"

"He said that his son was charged and convicted of murder in the first degree, and that the man broke free and fled the empire with his younger sister in tow."

"Murder? Of who?"

"His own mother."

Her heartbeat slowed. "His own...mother?"

"The king could not have been lying. His eyes were too serious. There was a pain there, princess. I saw it. It looked much like the pain I see in you now."

An icy droplet of water ran down her head. "My sister...she's all that I have, captain. If...if I lose her..."

The large man drew her into a huge hug, her tears silent as they soaked his tunic. "If you believe she has yet to fall, then she has yet to fall. She is as strong as she was before, and she is angry."

"Angry?"

"That tiara is glowing red."

Anna slipped it from her head as the captain released her. She lett her gaze drift across the icy facets, red light glowing from within. She placed it back atop her head.

"We need to find her. No matter what the cost."

"Rest, princess. It is late in the day. Tomorrow, we can discuss what to do and where to search."

xXxXx

The door banged open, revealing Hans with four burly guards in tow, an apple in his hand. He bit into it and chewed for a moment, reminding Elsa of her own hunger. He grinned, juice dripping down his chin.

"Care for a taste?"

She glowered, leading him to laughter. He looked over his shoulder at the lead guard.

"Get her to the meeting room, please."

He slipped out, leaving the guards to cast wary eyes over her hunched figure, leering at her exposed flesh. They retrieved a pair of wooden poles that looked more like pillars and attached her chains to them, hoisting the rig aloft and carrying her out of the room on their shoulders. She could feel their fear tingling through the chains, could feel her hands and feet chafing from confinement and from swinging beneath the rig like an injured patient in a gurney. The swaying began to make her feel nauseous, but with nothing in her belly to heave she concentrated on swallowing, dry tissue rubbing against itself as her dehydration made itself known.

The guards carried her down a labyrinth of hallways and through several large doors before finally coming to a stop and propping her upright. A servant approached, bringing a tray of bread and water to the weakened queen. Elsa growled, not trusting anyone to be near her.

"If Hans wanted to kill you, he would have done so by now," the servant commented. She held up a goblet full of water and offered it to the queen.

"It's pure, I promise."

Despite her desire to void all hospitality that could be offered to her by the patrons of the Southern Isles, Elsa let the goblet slide against her upper lip, pure water tipping down her parched throat. She drank with greed, feeling her heart rate increase, her blood beginning to tingle as it moved further and faster. The goblet tipped away, and she made a noise of protest.

"Too much too soon will empty your stomach all over the floor again." A large piece of bread was held up to her mouth, and the blonde bit into it, tearing a large chunk off to chew in her mouth. The bread was sweet and moist, the best she'd ever tasted, though being deprived of food for more than three days meant the bread would have been delicious even if stale.

She swallowed, letting the grain slide down her throat, and was rewarded with a second draught from the goblet. Just as the last of the water drained into her stomach, the door banged open, and in strode the devil with the sideburns Elsa had come to despise.

"Ah, good, she has taken to the food. Was it to your liking?"

She was neglect to reply. He chortled.

"No matter, no matter. You won't need to say much, as this is mostly to inform you of what is to come. Now, let's get started."

She noted with mute disgust that Juan and a man who looked much like an older, more rugged version of Hans had entered the room. _Lyle._

"So, dawn tomorrow, we depart. You will be aboard the frigate heading the siege, kept safely hidden below-deck for most of the journey. Our first stop will be your former kingdom, and when we arrive in the harbor, you will freeze the fjord just as you did when I was last there. You will freeze everything, in fact, including the ground. Let the seed of impurity that is planted there wither and die from the cold, so that when the purge has taken effect I may start anew with fresh loam and proper seed.

"Once Arendelle has been snuffed sufficiently enough, you will thaw the kingdom and be my greatest weapon. I, of course, will take my place on the throne, while you will remain aboard the frigate and travel south to the Irish and British countries, freezing them solid, then moving south through France and Spain to continue bringing the endless blizzard to the kingdoms. Your path will then take to land and move across Asia, sweeping first across the north, then back across the south. Everything will be covered in ice."

Elsa blinked. _This can't possibly work._

"You are more than capable of forcing their hands into surrender. And you will do so because I am telling you so."

"And what of my sister?"

He grinned, turning to face her. "That's why we must stop in Arendelle first: to obtain your leverage."

_He doesn't have anything on me, then!_

"Of course, I will be sending a scout ship up to Arendelle to take the princess hostage before we arrive. You see, the frigate will not travel nearly as fast across the water as a much smaller scouting vessel, and so we should arrive just as the scout is leaving. Dear Anna will be brought back here and kept safe and secure, locked inside a cell, and should anything happen that compromises this plan, then her safety will be equally jeopardized."

Elsa slumped, letting her mind churn.

"Your blizzard should have the entire Eurasian continent in a whiteout by the beginning of autumn, and then you'll move through Africa. Then a ship will take you over to the New World, and you can kiss that civilization goodbye as well. And once the world has been turned into a giant snowball, you will unfreeze it as kingdoms fall, and I will then relegate Juan and Lyle to their own kingdoms, and we will form an unbreakable triad of power. And then, when all is said and done, you and your dear sister may spend the rest of your days together doing whatever wretched things it is you wish to do, though you will be hunted and killed on-sight if you dare approach any kingdom that stands. Clear?"

"Icy," she replied. He laughed.

"You still have your temper! Perhaps that meal did more good for you than I thought!" He slapped his knee, laughter ricocheting off the walls to further inflame the headache she hadn't known she possessed.

"We leave tomorrow at daybreak. The scout leaves tonight to claim your sister. Until our departure, you are to be returned to your cell. Guards!"

And with that, the four burly men entered, letting Hans, Juan, and Lyle exit with excited conversation.

* * *

**_Comments? Thoughts? As I said above, I'm very much interested in your thoughts about Chapter 8. Please, if you have the heart and/or the time, drop me a little note, yeah? Call it...an experiment of mine. I love you all, my gentle snowflakes, and I should have Chapter 10 up tomorrow evening at the soonest. ~Kyttin  
_**


	10. Cold and Clear

_**A/N: So I guess my heart and my mind are a bit tainted, and that might just have something to do with the fact that I'm sick and only running on four hours of sleep, but I have another chapter I'm about ready to write, so I guess you guys get this one early. Yay you. **_

_**Also, I mean no ill will by saying this, but I've made up my mind: If you guys have a problem with how/what I'm writing here, I've taken a "Fuckitol" pill to keep me going. Guys, honestly, I would NEVER hurt any of these characters, ever. They are as much like my children as my cat is a knucklehead (and I can prove beyond doubt that he is). If I seem like I'm being too harsh on Elsa in this fic, or on Anna in the future (as might eventually come to pass), I don't really give a fiddler's flying fuck. I won't ever hurt them, not unless I can repair the damage, and you can be certain their pain is mine own. You no like what I put them through? To steal a line from Elsa, "Then LEAVE." **_

_**Sorry. This chapter continues on a similar thread from Chapter 8, so if that one disturbed you, DARK CONTENT AHEAD. This chapter is primarily Anna-centric, but Elsa's role does play importance. I'll explain more in future chapters/at the end of the story if I still have any readers by then.**_

_**Special shout-out to LaraAelric, the SuperGravyMan of my Frozen fic. Without your reviews, I'd feel a bit more empty inside than I already am. Plus, you're giving me wonderful insight about how others see this story, and I'm a sucker for a good introspective review.**_

_**And now, Chapter 10 of This Calling.**_

* * *

_This Calling  
_

Chapter 10: Cold and Clear

"Princess?"

She finished twisting the knot of hair up to perch high on her head, giving her a plush reddish ball of silken grace. Her face had been scrubbed pink, cosmetics applied, dress tailored to appear as though she had taken over the role of queen. All that remained was the formal ceremony, which she refused to schedule.

"Enter."

The butler stepped into the room. "There is a vessel approaching the harbor, m'lady."

"From?"

"The Southern Isles," the butler said.

Anna spun with such force that her elegant gown entangled itself between her trembling legs. "The _what?_"

"The-"

"I heard you," she hissed. "Who is on the vessel?"

"There has been no word from the coast guard as to whom or what is aboard the ship."

She glowered. "What type?"

"A scouting ship, m'lady."

_Scouts? From the Isles? For what purpose?_

"I want four of my best men on guard around me at all times. Tell the guards I intend to greet the ship, and should anything befall me they are to ruin the vessel and all aboard."

"Such drastic measures?"

"Let's not forget that their youngest prince attempted to kill both members of Arendelle's royal family. I will not trust them so easily."

"And if they mean well?"

"I don't particularly care how well they may mean. I don't trust anyone of that part of the world."

The butler offered a curt nod and departed, leaving Anna to fume in silence.

_It's only one ship. And it isn't like the entire kingdom told Hans to kill us._

She straightened, fixing the pleats in her dress and the lace at her neck.

_I don't care._

She marched her way down to the docks, finding herself encircled by four of her most ruthless mercenaries, three men who would kill first and ask questions later, one woman who was often mysteriously referred to as the Cat for being lithe, silent, and a feared assassin. Anna took quiet note of her posse and allowed herself a smirk of contempt. Arendelle may have been a fair, noble kingdom without much trouble or strife, but every royal family held its secrets. To common passerby who waved and greeted the princess as she passed, it merely seemed as though she was encircled by guards as a precation. To Anna, she was in the eye of a bloody hurricane ready to strike should anything go amiss.

The scouter docked and lowered a short gangplank, allowing one auburn-haired man to stumble his way from the vessel. He gazed about in confusion, eyes settling on Anna. He gasped.

"Princess!"

He ran to her, causing the guards to tense, but fell to his knees and bowed at her polished shoes. She blinked at him, her face blank.

"Rise."

He stood, a shaken expression on his face. "Princess Anna, yes?"

Anna graced him with a slow nod, eyes locked with his own.

"My brother...Hans, you remember; of course you remember...h-he and our fleet of scouters encountered a ship from the Spanish Empire. He was at the helm of the lead ship; father sentenced him to sailing the world ceaselessly for a year for his crimes against your kingdom...they...the Spaniards destroyed them...a-all but my ship, speared through with ice, blankets of snow, violent winds, roiling waters...it was like the sea, the air, it all came _alive _around us. I got away...but only just."

Still no expression.

"I-I believe it may have been your sister, the one with the power of ice and snow. The Spaniards...they may be forcing her to cooperate with their evil scheme..."

"Prince..."

"Franz, Your Highness."

"Prince Franz. I have dealt with both your brother Hans and your brother Ivan. I have no interest in aiding any sailors from the Southern Isles after the atrocious behavior both have displayed."

"Please, Princess! I beg of you! Hans is the youngest; he's an immature brat, spoiled rotten by our _blessed _father! Ivan is a fool; he was dropped on his head three days after his birth and hasn't been right since-"

"And you? What is your excuse? You are a rambling fool."

"I was disowned! I am the seventh born, halfway between Hans and my older brother Lyle. I saw things nobody else took to seeing, know things about them they would murder to keep secret. I know things, Princess! There is a plot!"

"Goodbye, Franz. Take your..._craft_...and depart my harbor; you're cluttering the place with your disheveled appearance and rather sordid excuse for a ship. It might as well be a dinghy used aboard a frigate, for all it's worth."

She turned and strode away, guards in tow.

"There is a plot, Princess! Please, I beseech you! I don't want them to kill your sister!"

She almost tripped over a smooth piece of flagstone.

"Our scouting ships, they each carry a messenger bird to send great distances and deliver news. After I escaped the storm, I sent my bird to my father, telling him all that happened. When it returned yesterday, my father informed me of a new plan to kill your sister for all the assault she'd played upon our family and our kingdom. I had to warn you, Princess! Your sister is in grave danger!"

If Anna had been searching for a word to use in describing her situation at that instant, 'difficult' would have been an apt choice. On one hand, the Isles had disrupted the peace of her kingdom on two separate occasions, nearly costing the royal family its lineage in the process. On the other hand, Elsa was out there somewhere, alive, and though the queen was more than capable of handling half the world against her, she was still her beloved _sister_, and the knot in her throat made it difficult to overlook.

"Guards, have my captain assemble a crew. I need a skipper ready by mid-day. The meeting is cancelled; all other commitments are postponed indefinitely. The suitors are free to stay, but until I return with my sister the kingdom will look to Kristoff and Sven. Have the explorers journey toward the North Mountain; he can be found between here and there at the glen of the trolls. The advisors can manage the kingdom; he only needs to be the figurehead."

She turned, face stony. "Prince Franz, ready yourself and whatever men you have. We depart at mid-day to pursue the ship. You will give us our heading and direct our course, but make no mistake: every member of the Arendelle royal court has been instructed to have no mercy on anyone seeking to usurp the throne. Any foul-play or misdirection, and I will have you and your accomplices tried, convicted, and sentenced to a short drop and a sudden stop upon my sister's return. Am I clear?"

His face had gone more pale than the cream-white of his rumpled pants. He nodded without comment.

"Good. Be ready."

She turned and returned to the castle with all due haste, mind ticking in earnest.

xXxXx

_Crack._

Elsa screamed, icy tears streaming from her eyes, back singing with agony. She had been strung up against a large wooden pole protruding from the ground in the center of a room called 'Anesthesia.' Behind her, a low laugh sounded in the dark.

"How does it feel to be powerless?"

She grit her teeth, preparing for the

_Crack._

Blood ran in thick rivulets down her marred flesh, dripping from her buttocks and pooling on the floor under her feet. She managed to keep the scream down, but the angry flesh on her back saw no reason to stay silent in its protest. If it weren't for the pole she was shackled to, she knew her knees would have long since given out, likely at the third or fourth strike.

_Crack._

She crashed into the pole from the force, the wood digging sharp splinters into her thighs and chest as she slumped, feet splaying behind her. She heard more laughter, the man tutting her.

"You'd better get back to your feet, _your highness_."

She strained, feeling no support from her legs. Her arms heaved, freezing the shackles with the effort, crushing the metal into her hands, squeezing tighter and tighter, flesh crushing, bones creaking

_Crack._

Nothing could have prepared her for the agonizing gash that split the inside of her left thigh open. She shrieked, openly sobbing, her leg going completely limp with livid rage and white pain. Stars danced behind her eyelids as she howled, forcing her undamaged leg to gain footing on the stone below. She pushed, ripping the skin from her front as she slid up the pole, leg locking beneath her in a feeble stilt to keep her body upright.

"Please..." she whispered, unable to speak any louder. "Please...no more...no...no more..."

"No more? But you've only just had your thirteenth strike."

"No more...p-please..." She choked, a rock in her throat, her body frail from the assault.

"I was instructed to give you two more. We can't be disappointing dear Hans, now can we?"

"J-just...let me go...I'll do it..."

"What was that?"

"I-I'll do it-t," she chattered. "D-don't...don't hurt A-Anna...I'll do it...just...please, no m-more..."

She convulsed, her body attempting to shield her from the pain, but all it did was permit fresh blood to rain from unclotted wounds.

"That is all we wanted from the start, Queen Elsa."

Her leg gave out and she slid down the pole, more splinters digging into her soft skin, body hanging limp, mind blank to all but agony. Part of her wished that death would be so kind as to end her suffering. Part of her wished she could turn the table on the attacker. Part of her contemplated an icy suicide via suffocation.

And a small part of her remembered the flouncing red hair she'd fallen in love with.

"I'll send someone to tend to you, now that we have your full compliance. Never let it be said that Prince Juan is without mercy."

The door banged shut, leaving Elsa to rot in the darkness, a lone miserable sob echoing in the stone chamber.

"Anna..."

* * *

_**I'm not good at spelling out torture scenes. Or rape. Or anything dark. As I said last chapter (or the chapter before), I've read a LOT of Stevie King in my youth, and anything is liable to happen in my stories. I don't encourage rape or torture. In fact, I think anyone subjecting someone else to such vile, cruel acts of hostility and self-deprecation should have their tiny, hairless cocks cut off and stuffed down their fucking throats. It's disgusting. It's the lowest anyone could ever be, in my opinion.  
**_

_**But I write scenes with rape and torture and death and darkness because there is a darkness inside of everyone, because these things do happen every day, and people are more or less apt to turning a blind eye when such things come to pass. I hate it, I really do. I don't particularly enjoy writing it out. Most would ask me why I don't choose to stop. It's because I choose to write what others are afraid to. I choose to show a fickle thing known as "reality," and many writers nowadays have become disillusioned about the idea of what is "real" and what is not.  
**_

_**And the reality of the world is, if you really want to break someone...to shatter them into a million pieces...you take their innocence, their dignity, their pride, and their happiness. You leave them tattered and broken so you can climb to power above them. Leave them so tortured and ruined that they can't think beyond asking whatever god they pray toward to let them die.**_

_**...that was a really grim rant. But anyways, my intent isn't to ruin myself as a writer for you guys. It's not to freak you out or drive you away. It's to show that people can be broken, and that they are broken every day. And it's to show what the bond of love is capable of doing to us. Love is a cruel mistress, and she shows no mercy to those unable to cope.  
**_

_**I love you all, my gentle snowflakes. I'll be back sometime this weekend with Chapter 11 (possibly tonight or tomorrow morning), hopefully with less of a grim air. I'm sorry this got so dark all of a sudden; I just felt that something had to be said. Writing is passion. Writing is exposure. Writing is an art. Whether or not you like my depiction of art, I hope you at least appreciate that I'm honest about it. ~Kyttin**_


	11. Strike For Love

_**A/N: More plot development and a few hints at what's REALLY going on. Oh boy oh boy. I'm sorry this wasn't up earlier today, but as I didn't have it written, I couldn't very well post a blank chapter. I JUST finished this segment ten minutes ago, and I'm midway through the vicious throes of a violent headcold. I feel like my skull is being squeezed in a vice and a truck is driving across my sinuses, but I had to update for you guys to help push myself through this mess.**_

_**I would like to thank all of my readers and reviewers, new and old, with honorable mentions to NoblePlatypus, Demented Jocosity, and LaraAelric for your wonderful repeat reviews. Thanks for sticking with me, guys and girls. There is...one more "dark" scene scheduled for this fic (now that I've had two with reasonable success), which actually only came about as a brainstorm earlier today. I may decide to eliminate it, but I think it'll drive everything home for everyone with all that's going on. Aaaah, I've both said too much and said absolutely nothing at all! Nevermind, go read Chapter 11.**_

* * *

_This Calling_

Chapter 11: Strike For Love

Calm waters surrounded the crown jewel of the Arendelle fleet, the frigate _Opus_. The crocus blew mighty and adamant in the breeze, green petals on a blue canvas that tossed about as the gusts changed. Anna stood at the bow of the ship, eyes trained on the scout ahead.

"Princess, it is suggested that you retire for the night. You should be as rested as possible in case we run upon the Spaniards."

"They don't frighten me," she said. Her voice had a lilt that betrayed none of her inner emotions, something which unnerved the bo'sun. He cleared his throat, crossing his dark-skinned arms that rippled with hardened muscle.

"The captain has asked that you return to quarters for the night. It is too dark for you to see, and far too dangerous for the last member of the royal family to be on the upper deck."

"I don't care what the captain has asked nor how dangerous it may be."

The same quiet lilt. He felt trepidation as he tried once more.

"Princess, this is not-"

"Return to your post, sir. I don't have time for your groveling."

The hairs on the back of the bo'sun's neck couldn't have stood any higher. He'd finally figured it out: the sudden change in her attitude, her loss of emotion, her toneless remarks, it was all part of who she'd become as a result of losing her sister, possibly forever. He felt a dark sense of foreboding that seemed to expand and contract with her unhurried breathing.

She didn't care. She had lost all feeling toward the outside, apathy oozing from her pores like the sweat he'd work up on a hot summer's day. She didn't care one iota, and it scared him far more than the omnipotent darkness that hung dank in the eve.

He strode away, leaving Anna to gaze at the sea.

xXxXx

Elsa awoke in a cage, the room around her tossing back and forth as she struggled to ascertain her bearings. A face swam in front of her view; she blinked at it with bleary eyes.

"Have you come to kill me now?" she rasped.

Juan sighed. "Thank _Dios_ you are alive." He dropped her gaze and knelt before her, tipping a small waterskin toward her mouth, from which she pulled a lengthy draught. He let his eyes roam across her naked back, still red and chapped with the scabs from his lashing.

"How long was I out?"

"We've been on the ship for an hour or so, by my judgment. Queen Elsa of Arendelle...I..."

He sniffled, hot tears striking the back of her limp hand with wretched anger.

"I am an unforgivable swine, _y por dios y mi madre en el cielo _I cannot continue under Hans!"

He had only whispered the words, though the impact they drove into her ears was enough. She forced her eyes open further.

"You drugged me, raped me, chained me up, forced my hand into cooperating with this lucid dream, beat me to a shred...and now, this?"

"Rape? You were raped?"

Elsa blinked. _Didn't he know?_

The expression on Juan's face grew several shades darker. "That..._bastard_. That...that..." He spat at the floor, seeming to grow sick to his stomach.

"Queen Elsa of Arendelle...I cannot lie to you any further. Y-you may hang me for my crimes against you when this is all over, but...that _hijo de la puta madre _left me no other options!"

She waited while he caught his breath.

"I...I must tell you everything, your highness. I must. And you must listen, and quickly. We don't have much time. Prince Hans...he is the devil! He is some new kind of monster, the kind you could never be. He is ruthless, bloodthirsty...He came to my kingdom and spoke of a horrible witch in the north with the power to freeze the world, asking my father for help in destroying her. My father told him to leave.

"I heard all of this at the local tavern; I left the throne because I didn't want to be a royal any longer. There was too much pressure, too many expectations, and I hated it. So I left the kingdom and entered the common world, still in the empire but away from my father's watchful eye. That was many months ago. My sister had left with me, believing she was like me and not made for royal pressures. I didn't ask her to come; she insisted.

Hans found out from the locals that my sister and I had been missing from the royal court. He found the right people, paid off those he needed to, and found my home. He took my sister, Maria, the one you made the snowglobe for. He took her, kidnapped her away from us...from me...and told me that the only way to get her back was to go back to the kingdom and murder my mother. I...I was so scared for Maria, I had no idea what to do."

"Did you kill her?"

Elsa had regained enough feeling in her limbs to drag her body up against the steel bars of the cage, finding comfort in the cold metal against her searing back.

"I couldn't! Not my mother! But I...didn't have to. She took her own life. I don't know why, only that she did. I simply told Hans I did it, and he let the gossip spread throughout the kingdom. I was framed for her death in exchange for getting my sister back.

"I couldn't go back to the Empire, not even as a commoner; people would have eventually recognized me and would condemn me for a crime I didn't commit. So I left with Hans, the power in his hands. He still had a hold on Maria. He...still does.

"He sent me from the Southern Isles to drug you and bring you back, or else Maria would suffer terribly. He made me swing the whip, or else Maria would be tortured as well. He holds my sister over my head and torments me with promise of her torture and undoing, and all I can do is beg him not to do it."

Elsa blinked. All it took was to imagine Anna in Maria's predicament, and she softened. "Then...why are you conspiring with him?"

"I have no choice! I have nowhere to go, nobody to trust. He has my sister back on the Isles, the only thing I ever held hope for in my life. She's a good girl, Queen Elsa, and it took a month of persuasion to see her in Arendelle for the first time in months. She's grown so much, so very much, and I haven't been able to see it because I'm always doing what he asks, praying that he doesn't hurt her."

Elsa was reminded of her beating. The wounds hurt less knowing they had granted mercy to a defenseless little girl. She let out a low sigh.

"And you couldn't tell me sooner because He would have known."

The man nodded, his lithe frame broken and disheveled.

"Who..." She swallowed.

"Hans. Hans did that to you, your majesty. He told me to do it, and I refused. I...I could not..."

It was only a small comfort that she wasn't talking to the man who defiled her. "I see. Where is this ship going? Arendelle?"

He nodded. "He sent his brother Franz there to lure your sister out. If his plan went accordingly, she would have been surrounded by his ships in the darkest part of the night. By now, she should be shipwrecked and aboard one of his vessels as your bait. We are sailing to confirm the destruction of the ship, and so that he may take her as his personal hostage against you. He wanted to do this in front of you and force you to watch him put the shackles on."

Elsa ground her teeth together. "And them I'm expected to freeze out my own kingdom with Anna under his lock and key, is that it?"

Juan nodded again. "It is a cruel plan, and it has many flaws, but it is what he has decided, and so long as he has hostages, we are powerless."

Thunderous footsteps clattered down the stairs. A swarthy man with a ruddy complexion approached Elsa's cage, not even passing a glance at Juan. He fiddled with a ring of keys and popped the lock open.

"Her Royal Highness is expected on the bow by Prince Hans. You," the man pointed at Juan, "are to be escorting her."

Juan offered a curt nod. "Her Highness is cooperating with the threat of her sister. She'll do as we ask, won't you?"

Both men looked at her expectantly. Juan's face was hard, but his eyes were soft, pleading with her. She nodded once. The large man grunted and left.

"I hate to do this to you, Queen Elsa. But I have to ensure that they believe I am with them."

"And who are you with, then?"

"You. You are the only hope for saving my sister, and for my redemption under _dios._"

Elsa blinked. "Do you have a plan?"

"First, dress yourself, your majesty."

She looked down, aware for the first time since awakening that she had been stripped of all clothing. The dark splinters from the wooden whipping post still jutted from her skin, little black pimples across her chest, breasts, stomach, and thighs. The jagged gash across her left thigh leered at her like an ugly red snake, black and blue clots attempting to scab across the wound. She shivered, her mind finding humiliation at being exposed before the man and gratitude at his decency for not staring. She formed a long, icy dress that covered everything south of her chin, save for the shackles over her hands and feet.

Juan helped her stand, offering his body as her crutch. Her left leg refused to support any weight beyond that of her foot, and even then it growled its resentment.

"I will give you a signal, Queen Elsa," he whispered, jabbing his finger into her lower spine. "When I do, you need to break free of the shackles, whatever it takes. I can handle the scum of the Isles if you'll help incapacitate everyone else. We can free our sisters and leave victorious if we just try."

Elsa nodded, willing herself to stay awake. The agony threatened to take her consciousness.

"On your signal," she murmured.

xXxXx

Anna knew something was amiss moments before the situation was compromised. She gazed about, drinking in the vast blackness of the unmoving sea.

"Stop the ship," she said. Immediately, the sails were drawn.

"What is it, princess?"

The captain had appeared at her side, leaving the unnerved bo'sun to tend the wheel.

"Something is wrong," she replied.

"It's very dark out. Is it possible we'll run aground?"

"Not that kind of wrong. Something deceptive. I can feel it."

Her hair began to stand in the dead air. The captain stepped back.

"Your hair is floating."

_I don't care._

From far off, she heard the tiniest pinpricks of sound, the telltale swish of moving water, unnatural in the darkness. She turned toward the offending noise.

"Captain, prepare the cannons. A ship approaches from the bow, on the starboard side."

She whirled. "And another, off the port side of the stern. Keep the men quiet but get our arsenal ready."

The man disappeared below deck. Frantic, hushed scurrying broke out beneath the floorboards of the deck. Anna continued turning this way and that, listening for any sound in the night.

"Princess, the arms are ready. What exactly are you feeling?"

Her braids had begun to unravel, held aloft by nothing. Her hands, normally tanned with cinnamon-dusted freckles, were pale, the freckles black as pitch and far more volatile. Clouds overhead blocked the moonlight, but her eyes glowed a clear blue, the pupils fully dilated and black as infinity.

"There are two ships off the starboard bow, one off the starboard stern, two from the portside bow, and two more from the portside stern. We have one scout directly ahead, and a possible ship behind. Most of them sound like frigates or large warships. Have the guns ready."

Without warning, cannonfire lit up in a ring around their ship just as the sky in the east began to lighten. Heavy iron slugs smashed into the ship, splitting timber and blowing men to pieces. Anna stood at the bow, proud and unmoved.

"Fire at will."

* * *

_**I like this Anna. It may seem out of character, but I have a reason, I promise! Life is all about...balance. And that's all I'll say on the matter.  
**_

_**I may extend this fic longer than I had originally intended. I have a foreseen "ending," but this might all just be considered one booklet of a much larger piece of writing. Maybe I'll have more Elsanna smut in the future. Maybe I'll add in more fluff. And maybe I'll kill them both. I haven't decided yet, though there wouldn't be much Elsanna if one of them were dead, right? Just...be ready, because I very well might start a second fic along a similar thread to this one, using the same storyline and development progression. There is so much more I decided I could do with this...so very much. Which, I guess, means you wonderful people are free to do spin-offs if you'd really like. I'd enjoy reading other takes on where this story could go...once I finish this one, of course. I predict ten chapters or less until I reach the conclusion; it's a short fic, meant as a quick, powerful read. Plus, I'm experimenting with my new adverb-minimized style while getting back into the general swing of writing, so I don't want to rush into something and overdo it or leave myself high and dry...**_

_**Also, I'm attempting to build Elsa's Ice Palace out of Lego blocks! If any of you are curious as to what it looks like, I'll post a "link" to my Flickr at the end of Chapter 12 (because FFnet doesn't allow links to be posted, which means I'll be spelling it out). OR, if you're really interested, PM me/review and say such, and I'll link you right in. I update there almost as frequently as here because my mornings are empty, so I have the opportunity to make a lot of progress in building and scheming. Only if you're really curious, though; I don't wanna force anyone.**_

_**That's my spiel. I love you all, my gentle snowflakes, and I'll see you again soon in Chapter 12! ~Kyttin**_


	12. Face Your Fear

_**A/N: I will say as the author that this chapter gets EXTREMELY interesting for you readers, if that last line from Anna wasn't bad-ass enough. Jesus, I loved writing that. "Fire at will." Like, HA, YOU FUCKING GO GIRL. Holy shit, that was fun. :D**_

_**I'm in a good mood, despite my head cold. Isn't that funny?**_

_**Oh! Right! So, the link to my Flickr is the next paragraph. I'm currently on Revision 3 of Elsa's Ice Palace, but I'll probably be moving to Revision 4 soon, as I realized that I have WAY too many pieces and that I can simplify the entire structure by a boatload if I change the columns and floor. You'll understand when you see:**_

_**www DOT flickr DOT com SLASH photos SLASH 11 16 18 44 4 AT N04 SLASH sets SLASH 72 15 76 39 55 94 20 18 3**_

_**Just get rid of the spaces and replace the DOTS and SLASHES with '.'s and '/'s. Oh, and the AT symbol is Shift 2 on the keyboard. Simple enough, right?  
**_

_**Anyways, onward to Chapter 12!**_

* * *

_This Calling_

Chapter 12: Face Your Fears

The battalion of ships that bore the flag of the Southern Isles fired on the _Opus_, a firestorm of cannonballs that blasted her rigging, struts, and masts to pieces. Many crewmates could be seen staining the waters below, their dismembered carcasses scattered among the detritus from the ship's leavings. Anna gazed at each of her adversaries in turn, fear absent from her face. The bo'sun clapped a large hand on her shoulder, panting from sprinting across the deck.

"Princess, this is a war zone! This place is not safe for you! I beseech you, retire to the captain's quarters at the stern! You'll be safer there."

"I think not."

"Princess-"

"The quarters are damned," she replied, and a loud explosion that blasted the ship's stern apart confirmed her claim. The man stared at her.

"What are you?"

"I am Princess Anna of Arendelle."

"You aren't the princess we last saw. She was full of joy and energy. You...you're as still as a statue, empty as the south well during a heatwave."

"I don't particularly _care _what version of 'the princess' you are more familiar with. I am Princess Anna of Arendelle, and I am going after my sister."

The bo'sun gaped. "What-"

"You may wish to duck."

The man only just managed to cower as a searing steel ball ripped through the space of air his torso had occupied seconds before, the ball flying over the ship and into the sea on the far side. The man stood, shaking.

"What _are _you?"

"A force to be reckoned with. I suggest you go back to your post and try not to get killed, before I show you something really..._scary._"

Her skin paled, freckles darkening, eyes glittering as she seemed to drink in the energy from the air. Dawn's light seemed dim to the harsh glare her skin exuded. The man staggered back, watching in mute fascination and horror as dark tendrils of smoke slipped from the sleeves of her dress and covered her arms, void of any color or moisture. The smoke coiled, swelling, dancing along her fingers to form a ball in each hand, oscillating with an inner tempest the likes of which the bo'sun had never seen before.

"Magic?"

Anna pointed at the frigate closest to their weakening vessel, a large, boisterous ship off the starboard bow. She flicked her fingers against her thumb, uncoiling her hand in an open-palmed flex toward the ship, and the coiling darkness bolted through the air, crackling and growling as it approached the starboard side of the frigate.

The smoke collided with the ship, seeming to blast outward and dissipate. For a brief instant, nothing happened. The bo'sun had enough time to convince himself he'd imagined the entire spectacle.

Anna curled her hand into a fist.

Spikes of black ice exploded from the center of the ship, splitting the mast at the base and spearing six different crewmates to death. It was like watching a massive sea urchin flaring its entire poisonous body at one instant, the acidic spines ripping the ship apart as more continued to shatter the wooden hull, the deck, the helm, the beautiful mermaid figurehead at the bow of the craft. Everything exploded, smashed by a massive ball of icy spikes the color of nothing.

It was astonishing that a man with such dark skin pigment could look so pale. "She's a mage like her sister!"

"I am Princess Anna of Arendelle," she replied, her voice toneless.

She fired a second blast of black clouds at another frigate, and a third at an ironclad approaching from the rear. Both ships splintered and exploded, ripped into tiny pieces of shrapnel by the black ice, frozen and dark and frightening. Anna bore no expression on her porcelain face, her cinnamon-dusting the color of pepper, skin whiter than snow, hair unwound and billowing freely behind her back. Whatever inner force had resided within the princess for so long, unnoticed and dormant, had finally reached its fever pitch, and was rearing its powerful, dangerous head.

"The ice...it is not like the queen's. The queen has clear ice that is often white or blue. This ice is black, and far more cold. I can feel it from here."

The captain coughed, clutching his stomach; he had taken a stray piece of shrapnel to the diaphragm and was having trouble breathing. "She possesses a very dark magic, darker than Queen Elsa's. Anna..." He coughed, blood splattering the deck. "Anna is a good girl with a great amount of energy and joy inside, but she has a power as deadly as the enemies we face."

Three more enemy ships exploded, wood and blood and steel flying through the air as black, glittering spines rent the air and ships apart, destroying everything they found.

"Far more deadly, it seems," the bo'sun corrected. "Look at how they disappear."

"She is a mixed blessing, and it seems her sister is the cause of her endless rage."

"No. Not rage. There was no anger in those eyes," the bo'sun gulped, watching as another ship blew up. "Apathy."

The captain blinked. "Apathy?"

"She doesn't care, sir. She has no care for anything or anyone in the world at this moment except the queen." The bo'sun looked to his captain. "Is that...healthy, sir?"

"It is not up to us to question their judgment. We are only here to serve and protect them to the best of our abilities."

"They seem to have themselves taken care of."

"For the time being."

The ship rocked on its keel, tossing to the portside stern. Both men were pitched into the nearby stairwell with cries of surprise and pain. Crewmates scrambled about, flooding into the hatch leading below-deck. The princess seemed unperturbed.

"Princess Anna! We have sustained grave damage to our portside stern! The _Opus _is doomed; she's sinking fast!"

The ship righted itself without warning, pitching the crew across the deck. "Not anymore," she replied. The crewmates leaned over the portside railing and looked toward the rear of the ship, only to see that the fatal wound had been sealed by a thick layer of sparkling black ice. Several more ships exploded on the horizon.

"Wait! There, off yonder!"

The captain procured a telescope, a grimace on his face as he focused on the ship approaching from a distance.

"That ship bears the flag of the Spanish Empire!"

Anna paused.

"Princess, that ship may very well have your sister or her captor aboard."

The red hair dropped, twining itself into braids just as before. Her skin regained its normal complexion, black peppering dissipating for the normal cinnamon-dusting of freckles. She nodded once.

"Let us wait for the vessel to approach."

xXxXx

Elsa leaned against Juan for support on the deck of the _Tempesta_, watching as Hans ordered men about and stood at the bow now and again, looking and acting like the most important man alive.

"Prince Hans!" the captain called.

"How fare?"

"There is a ship ahead, sir."

Hans turned, a nasty grin carved into his face. "Are you ready to see your sister again, Queen Elsa?"

She neglected a reply as he turned away, drawing his telescope. He focused, frowned, focused again, and let out an unhindered expletive.

"The Arendelle flag?!"

Elsa perked up. _Anna?_

"Impossible. The fleet should have destroyed the ship!"

Hans threw the scope down, knocking the lens awry. He stomped around the deck, muttering to himself, until finally snapping his fingers.

"New plan! We approach on good terms and inform the crew that we have their queen as hostage. They will either submit or turn to violence, in which case we most certainly have the advantage against them."

He glanced at Elsa and winked. She would have cursed him if she had the energy.

"Forward, men! Approach the Arendelle frigate."

xXxXx

Anna watched as the ship drew closer, noting that the crew seemed to ignore their presence while drawing all-the-closer. She watched as the ship drew up alongside theirs, the name _Tempesta _gleaming in bright white paint, and a gangplank was extended to crash onto the deck. Crossbowmen and swordsmen flooded the plank, surrounding the princess in a ring of angry bodies. A low chuckle sounded from outside the circle.

"I must say, Anna," a sultry voice lisped, "I didn't expect this one lonely ship to survive the attack, but here you are. Surprise, surprise."

The men shuffled closer together, allowing Anna to see her adversary.

"Hans," she greeted. He grinned.

"Hello, my dear."

She blinked. Her lack of emotion caused his smile to falter. He cleared his throat and stepped into the circle, taking slow strides around her, hands clasped behind his back.

"Anna, it has been a month since I last saw you. You look well. Has Arendelle been good to you?"

No reply.

"I trust you've been well-fed. Have Kai and Gerda seen to it that you're kept in good graces?"

No reply.

"Speechless at my arrival, are you? Don't worry, Anna, I won't hurt you...as long as all goes well. You see, I have something of yours, something very precious to you. Can you guess what that something is?"

"Your condescension is rather lackluster, Hans. Mediocre at best."

"Mediocre?" He laughed. "I somehow don't think the possession of your sister is _mediocre._"

He snapped his fingers. From aboard the _Tempesta,_ a blonde-haired woman with an icy blue dress was helped forward by an olive-skinned man with dark, tousled hair dressed in a fine black suit. The woman slumped toward the railing, elbows locked, her upper body supported only by stilty arms that shook and chattered.

Anna remained impassive.

"I have your sister," Hans goaded. "She's right there, aboard the ship I commandeered from Prince Juan of the Spanish Empire. And if you want her to remain alive, you are to come with me."

"Imposter," Anna said.

"That? An imposter for your sister?" Hans laughed again. "I highly doubt an imposter could create ice."

The telltale icicles along the railing fled from Elsa's white-knuckled grasp on the varnished wood. Anna's body paled, her cinnamon-dusting returning to its much more sinister state of darkness. Her eyes glassed over, endless pools of blackness.

"It is true, that an imposter could not create ice for my sister," Anna said. Her voice sounded as though it were being cut into millions of pieces and reformed in an instant, over and over. She clasped her hands together and drew them up to rest in front of her face, eyes locked on a frowning Hans.

"But I can."

She unclasped her hands and whipped them around in twin arcs to spin a lethal ripple of the black ice outward at the speed of fear.

xXxXx

Elsa watched with strained limbs, listening to the exchange. She gasped when Anna's skin changed color, when her freckles darkened, when the blue in her eyes was drowned in the black.

The concussive blast that followed knocked her from her footing. She grunted at landing on her backside, thankful she'd not landed on any of the healing scabs. The ship pitched, rolling away from the _Opus_, the loud clatter and splash of the gangway giving way echoing up over the railing. Elsa struggled to her feet, independent of any help from Juan, and staggered to the edge of the ship, gazing in awe at what she saw.

Every single member of the ring had been speared through the skull with a massive spike of black ice. Hans was the only one to duck, and had hidden himself under a stairwell like a timid mouse.

"Anna!"

The red-head turned to the sound of her sister's voice, hair billowing behind her.

"Anna, I'm here!"

Without warning, the princess raised her arm, pointed at the queen, and flicked her fingers into the open-palmed blast of certain death. Elsa watched in horror as the darkness cut through the air, aimed straight for her heart, and she found herself unable to move, the thought of her sweet sister imprinted at the forefront of her mind.

* * *

_**Boom. Cliffhanger. Hate me all you want.**_

_**So there you have it. THIS CONCLUDES BOOK ONE. ...ahaha, I'm kidding. I have more chapters planned. I think. **_

_**Go ahead. Yell at me. You know you want to. I love you all, my gentle snowflakes, and I'll tell you Queen Elsa's fate in Chapter 13 of This Calling. ~Kyttin**_


	13. See The Beauty

**_A/N: Short update, but I had to cut it there; I originally had more, but it was a TERRIBLE cliffhanger to leave, and the monitor-punching "fuckfuckfuckfuckshitfuckdamnitfuck" reviews would have tripled. So, this, which I think is one of my shortest chapters, is where I'll leave it._**

**_Unless you want me to put up the original of this chapter, which I can do. *shrug*_**

* * *

_This Calling_

Chapter 13: See The Beauty

_Without warning, the princess raised her arm, pointed at the queen, and flicked her fingers into the open-palmed blast of certain death. Elsa watched in horror as the darkness cut through the air, aimed straight for her heart, and she found herself unable to move, the thought of her sweet sister imprinted at the forefront of her mind._

The blast, however, never reached Elsa's heart.

A powerful tug at the blonde's collar pitched her backward for the second time in several short moments, though this time she had enough misfortune to land on her back, reopening the gashes from the whip and raining blood onto the deck. She screamed, rolling to her stomach and crawling toward the nearby stair banister to help regain her footing. She staggered, twisted, fell, and finally planted her weight on one strong leg. She looked toward the railing, one hand massaging her neck after the brief throttling she'd received.

Prince Juan stood where she'd been seconds before, stock-still. Elsa coughed, feeling the pain in her back wash over her body, and it seemed to rouse him. He turned with slow, shifting steps, moving a few degrees at a time, and finally came to face her, expression blank, mouth half-open, hands clutched over his lower chest. It didn't take much thought to connect the dots.

"Juan!"

The man looked down, one hand drifting away from the wound, where sat a puddle of shadow, black and unyielding in the mid-morning light. Elsa reached out, stretching to get to him.

"Juan, no!"

She could see over the railing by that point, the face of her sister in clear view. Anna's hand was still outstretched, flat and open from delivering the powerful blow.

"Anna, don't-"

Flex.

The shadow exploded into a porcupine of black, icy spikes, rupturing his stomach and lungs as it split him from the inside out. He was knocked straight to his knees, eyes wide in unfathomable pain. Blood flooded from the wound, staining his once-clean suit as his heart popped from punctures. He slumped, collapsing onto his back. Elsa found herself speechless, unable to make any sort of noise. Her throat pumped; she felt about to retch.

"Juan?"

He began shaking, tossed into an epileptic fit by the sudden failure of his vital organs. Elsa swooped over him, tears streaming down her face and freezing in the frigid air from the spines.

"Juan, no!"

"Take...care...of my...sister...Queen Elsa...of Aren...de..."

He stopped moving. Elsa knew better than to shake him, to try and bring him back. She closed his eyelids and stood, newfound energy teeming throughout her veins. Her back no longer bothered her, nor did her shaking legs. All that mattered was one fire-haired princess with a black streak of vengeance on her mind.

Elsa leapt from the _Tempesta_, sailing through the air like a kite to land aboard the _Opus_ behind her sister, who had begun to trudge her way toward the cowering figure of Hans. Elsa recognized the Cat hiding just beyond the doorway to the captain's quarters, the three elite guardsmen cowering with her. For the best of Arendelle's trained warriors and assassins to be regarding the princess as death personified, something had shifted to a terrible place within the young woman, and Elsa feared that her sister would never be the same again.

"Anna!"

Even in her lethal state, the princess recognized her name. She swirled, dark magic pooling around her fingers.

"So, you survived."

"Anna, don't do this."

A bolt of black ice lanced its way toward the queen, who dodged with a quick sidestep.

"Anna! Stop!"

Another bolt. Another sidestep. The princess appeared to be taking aim.

"Please, don't be like this! They'll call you the Monster of Arendelle if you don't control yourself!"

"Look how well that worked for you," the red-head replied. Her toneless voice unnerved the queen, and she readied her ice powers, feeling the icy swirls oscillate in her hands.

"Anna, what happened to you?"

"You, Elsa. You left. That's what happened."

"And I'm here now, here with you! What happened to my sister, the one who wanted to face the storm with me? The one who came up to my enclave and told me everything would be alright? The woman who showed me what true love really is?"

"You left her."

The emotionless accusation hurt far worse than any lashing. Elsa cringed.

"I had no control over that, Anna. I was drugged. Surely you know that!"

"I know that my sister was with a suitor, and that she left with him."

"I was drugged, Anna! Hans mixed something into the wine that Juan brought!"

"So Juan drugged you?"

"He didn't mean to, he was protecting his sister from Hans! I would have done the same thing to a suitor if it meant protecting you!"

"Then you are no better. Goodbye, traitor."

Anna flared her arms wide, sending a streaming torrent of darkness toward the queen. She flared her nostrils, dug deep into her wellspring of magic, and flooded a counterattack of ice and snow into the black.

The icy forces smashed against one another midway between the mages, freezing the air and creating a swirling vortex of cloud overhead. Hailstones began to fall, punching vicious holes in the wood, adding to the chaotic convergence of the icy face-off. Elsa grit her teeth, pushing harder. Anna was strong, stronger than she'd imagined, and she felt her power beginning to dwindle. The darkness began drawing closer, and for the first time in her life she felt something new, something that terrified her.

She was afraid. She was afraid of her sister.

The fear was enough to send another torrential outflow of ice magic into the throng of black nothingness that swarmed toward her, once again converging in the center of the ship.

_It's not having any effect. As long as we're balance, nothing is happening._

The thought almost drove her fear away. Anna couldn't hurt her so long as her magic could flow longer.

Then the two forces hit a peak, and without warning a devastating explosion blasted the ship in half and pitched both members of the Arendelle royal family from their respective feet, tossing them through the air. Elsa had just enough time to prepare for impact before crashing back-first against the water, ice burns covering her cheeks, chest, arms, and hands as the blast carved the ship into shrapnel. She felt the second concussive wave from the ship's gunpowder force her further underwater as it ignited, leaving her unable to breathe, too far down to swim to the top before asphyxiation took hold. With only a brief glimmer of hope in her heart, the queen fed her ice magic through her toes and began freezing the sea water beneath her, letting the thick ice floe jet toward the surface.

* * *

_**Apologies for leaving it here, but if you really want the original version of the chapter, let me know. I love you all, my gentle snowflakes, and I should have Chapter 14 up tonight (or the original 13, whichever you wish). ~Kyttin  
**_


	14. Sharp And Clear

_**A/N: So the overwhelming majority of all readers wanted me to hold the extension of Chapter 13, which actually works to my favor in lengthening the number of chapters overall. Yay for you all!**_

_**I will do something unconventional, however: I will insert a little tidbit Author's Note where the chapter originally discontinued, just so that you guys can see what my initial intention was. You'll understand upon seeing my blurb how very poignant the chapter would have been. **_

_**A thanks to all of my readers, old and new, my additional followers and fav-ers, and a wish that you'll all put forth your two cents about this story as it stands. I have one more chapter (I think) and an Epilogue (I think) before this story reaches its inevitable conclusion. Special shout-out to Michi the Mysterious, LaraAelric, and DoIHaveTo (aka Rap) for comments that made me grin (read: snigger uncontrollably in delight). **_

_**And now, on to Chapter 14 of This Calling.**_

* * *

_This Calling  
_

Chapter 14: Sharp And Clear

The ice broke the surface, carrying a hacking Elsa with. Her hair was a matted, tangled mess of blonde knots and curls, her burns and scabs screaming from the contact with the water, her mind foggy with exhaustion. She watched the _Opus _break apart, the wood scraps floating on the sea water like lilypads on a pond, though no frogs would find comfort on the tar-laden carcass of the ship. The _Tempesta_, however, loomed overhead like a massive, impenetrable stronghold, the burn marks on her side the only indication that she'd been near the blast.

"Anna?"

The queen scanned the water, letting her eyes pick past bloody bodies and driftwood. No sign of any red hair, nor of the royal dress she'd been wearing. Worried sapphire eyes darted in a frantic dance across the wreckage, learning nothing of the princess's whereabouts. She scanned the _Tempesta_, alarmed to see a torn part of Anna's dress tangled in the rigging that scaled the side of the ship.

Caution flew to the winds as Elsa forged an icy staircase up the side of the ship, leading her quivering legs to the deck. A wet smear led from the edge of the ship toward the captain's chambers, and without a second thought the queen took to pursuit, darting down a short hallway and pushing the doors wide.

Inside a very luxurious chamber outfitted with furniture of gold and plush red fabric, Anna lay sprawled across a solid oak desk, her dress water-logged and missing from mid-thigh downward. Part of the bodice had been burned away, destroyed by the cataclysmic explosion, the beautiful red tresses singed to half their former length. Elsa tripped and stumbled her way across the furniture, losing energy with each breath as she approached her sister.

"Anna?"

The girl was neglect to reply, though the slow rise and fall of her chest was enough to convince Elsa that the princess lived. Her skin had faded from white back to its tanned color, the cinnamon dusting back to its normal hue. Elsa wept at the sight of her sister alive, a welcome reprieve from the tortured isolation that had offered her no evidence that the princess lived.

"How touching."

Elsa whirled, glaring at Hans in anger. In his right hand was a pistol, loaded with powder and a thick metal slug. In his right was a cutlass, the blade sharp and clean. The queen felt very afraid of what could happen next.

He brandished the blade, gesturing for her to move. She stepped away from her sister, eyes darting between the two figures, watching in silence as Hans drew closer to the red-head. Her back struck the wall on the starboard side of the desk, while he stood at the portside, his gaze trailing down Anna's body. Elsa felt outraged.

"Leave her alone."

He cackled, a manic glint to his eyes. His burnt hair and ruined clothes accented his madness, lending a psychotic air to his words and actions. "Do you really think you have the power to stop me from doing as I please?"

He pointed the gun at her, placing the cutlass on the desk beside the unconscious red-head. He leaned over her body, grinning with lewd obscenity at her frail form.

"You see, dear Elsa, Anna here was just a pawn in my game. She was merely a playpiece to be tossed away and upgraded later. But now, now that she's become a real player in this game of mine, oh ho ho...Now things get _interesting._"

"You still think you're in control? She might be unconscious, but you're powerless."

"And you have a broken hand from freezing those shackles off earlier. Did you really think Juan would get away with mutiny that easily?" Her hand began to ache at the reminder, the bones pleading for rest and what was certain to be a long, painful healing process.

"You didn't kill him."

"All the better for me. I didnt have to, not once your sister went berserk and did it on her own. And to think, such a sweet, innocent girl, hellbent on killing her only sister."

He caressed one soft cheek, earning a growl from Elsa.

"You know something? I actually had a liking for this poor girl. I really did. Normally, when I take a slave, I like to keep them for a little while and make sure I get all due value from them before I decide they are of no use to me anymore. Anna...she would have been the one I'd keep no matter what. Such a pretty girl, with such a pretty face, all cooped up in a castle with only her corruptive older sister to watch over her."

"Anna is a free spirit, Hans! She makes her own decisions."

"Oh, no, that's where you're wrong. Anna isn't capable of making her own decisions."

He laid down the gun and retrieved the sword, hooking it under the hem of Anna's tattered dress. Elsa's eyes widened in realization.

"No, please, don't-"

"You are hardly in a position to be asking anything of me," he growled darkly. He flicked the blade, splitting the dress up the middle, severing strand after strand of hand-stitched silk and linen. The skirts and bodice fell away, leaving Anna in nothing but a brassiere with a strap burned away in the explosion and a pair of white cotton panties. The devil smirked.

"So soft, so gentle, so..._innocent._" He slit the brassiere, pitching the garment toward Elsa. It landed on the floor at her feet. The blonde had never felt so terrified, so violated. She watched his hands tug and grope at her sister's young body, felt so livid her eyes went blind, knew she was freezing the wall and floor around her but powerless to stop the man with the sword at Anna's neck.

"How funny is that, Elsa?" He slit one of the leg holes apart, the blade trembling in his hand. "I took something precious from you, something you can never have back, and now, I'm about to do it again, right in front of you."

He slit the other leg hole open. The panties flopped apart, leaving Anna exposed to the world.

"Hans, no!"

He laughed, loud and cold and angry.

"You've taken _everything _from me! You and your magic ruined my one chance to finally put my brothers and my father in their places, and you took it from me! You've taken it all! Well, no more for you, _Queen Elsa,_" he sneered. "This one is _MINE _for the taking!"

"No-!"

* * *

**_(So, right here, right at this very point, is precisely where Chapter 13 originally ended. I had an EVIL moment when I finished it, but I decided it was too sudden and far too dark to leave it alone. I've had mercy on you all, and you should be thanking me for it.)_**

* * *

A solid, tanned fist smashed against the man's jaw, sending him backward into the wall with a thump and an exhale of breath. The culprit glared at him in outrage.

"That's for my sister!" Anna cried.

Before either party had a chance to react, Elsa had darted clear across the room, smashing against Hans and pinning him to the oak paneling of the wall, one claw-like hand crushed against his throat, holding him aloft. Murder and fury and hell unrestrained blazed in her vicious sapphire-blues, frost tipping her fingers and the peach-colored hair on her arms.

"And this is for Anna."

"Queen-"

"Elsa!"

Heedless of their cries, Queen Elsa of Arendelle flexed her hand, flooding icy vengeance into the man's veins, letting frozen spines serrate and hemorrhage his brain, splitting his skull apart and jutting outward with bloody triumph.

No pain. No feeling. Nothing but a limp body and a ball of frozen spikes strung up against a wall. Elsa turned, hand and arm sullied with the blood from the ruptured brain case. Anna had one arm outstretched, mouth half-open, eyes shining with half-formed tears. Elsa blinked, sighing.

"I'm a monster."

She hung her head, turning from the red-head to flee toward the door as she had so many times before. _Coward. _Rapid feet carried her _traitor _shaking legs to the _monster_ doors.

And a pair of delicate arms snaked their way around the queen's heaving body, the pearls clattering on the floor as they fell from her eyes, shame and regret on her face like war-paint. The hands turned her, permitting a mane of billowing red hair to burrow itself against her bosom, the still-present wooden splinters digging deeper into the irritated skin. Elsa let her nose drop into the fiery mane, her tears smattering against the tresses, and she sobbed with abandon.

"I killed him, Anna. I...I murdered the prince, the...of the Southern Isles...He, I...I _murdered _him!"

Anna pulled away, locking eyes with the blonde. "I don't care who they say you are. I don't care where you were, or how you got here. I don't care what you did, to him or anyone else." Her eyes flashed the foreboding black before sparkling away into the aquamarine they'd warmed into. "As long as you're here with me."

"Anna..."

The queen embraced her younger sister, holding the naked frame tight against her battered attire, feeling their hearts beat together, tumultuous and exuberant and very much _alive _in the wreckage of the _Tempesta_.

"I love you so much, Anna."

The red-head giggled.

"And I love you with all my heart, Elsa."

* * *

**_After all the darkness that's been a part of this story, I had to introduce some fluffy warmness. Yes, it's cliche, but I can't exactly kill them off when the next chapter demands their presence. It's where everything gets tied up and starts to make sense! YAY SENSE! I hope you liked Anna's magic against Elsa's last chapter, and maybe I'll bring it back if we have a future sequel. Fingers crossed! :D  
_**

**_I love you all, my gentle snowflakes, and now that you have no reason to rip my throat out and stomp on it, I bid you all a wonderful eve and a good night of sleep. I'll be back soon (aka TOMORROW, probably in the morning) with Chapter 15 of This Calling. Share your thoughts! ~Kyttin_**


	15. Split The Ice Apart

_**A/N: I think, in terms of word count, this chapter is the third-longest in the entire story (because there was a good amount to tie together here, and only one real way that I could see to do it, though I'm sure other authors would disagree) and, for once, doesn't have any of my "xXxXx" view-point shifts. That means, scary and wonderful as it happens to be, this chapter is probably the one I both had the most difficulty writing and the most trepidation writing, as everything had to come together. Pay attention to .WORD. that's in this chapter, because I can promise you I've made sure they're worth their weight in gold, each and every one.**_

_**This is THE FINAL CHAPTER of This Calling. I have an Epilogue tentatively slated to be written, but I leave that to you readers. I won't be posting a follow-up author's note, as it's late and I really have nothing to say after the end of this chapter.**_

_**I would like to thank each and every one of my readers, reviewers, followers, fav-ers, haters, flamers, and critics. Reading every single one of your wonderful words has helped me learn what people like, what they don't like, and what it takes to be a better writer, aside from longer chapters. Special "Honorable Mentions" go to Michi the Mischievous, LaraAelric, and NoblePlatypus for sticking by me and reviewing for (almost) every single chapter at great length. You three helped me put this chapter together more than you know, because it's your notes and my recollection of Chapter 14 that told me exactly what needed to be said. Thank you so much, guys.**_

_**I implore you all to read and review. Go ahead and advertise to your friends if you feel this story is worth it; I sure as hell won't stop you. Thank you for sticking with me the past three weeks I've been writing this incredibly fast story. I don't think I'll be able to write a sequel, after due consideration, but...that more depends on if I'll even write an epilogue. Tell me your thoughts, your feelings, your everything. Implore me. Beseech me. If it's to your interest, of course. I love you all, my gentle snowflakes, and I bid you a wonderful read of Chapter 15 of This Calling. ~Kyttin**_

* * *

_This Calling  
_

Chapter 15: Split The Ice Apart

"There we are. All bandaged up. I apologize that it's taken a week to sort everything out for you, but...better late than never, yes?"

Elsa nodded at the doctor, watching in silence as he left the room. She rubbed her upper arms, elbows scraping at the thick cotton bandages that wrapped around her body like a white snake, coiled and ready to constrict her until death. She shivered.

The doctor had spent a great deal of time applying ointments and salves to her back, some that stung, some that cooled, some that burned, some that tightened her muscles and some that relaxed them. He had then moved to the front, mindful of her brassiere, and had plucked each and every black splinter from the inflamed skin, squeezing the pus and infection from the wounds saturated with tar and shards of debris, all down her chest, across her stomach, and over the tops of her thighs. Her torso and thighs had been wrapped with great care, so as to keep the wounds covered and untainted while providing the queen ample comfort and maneuverability.

The man had done an outstanding job, as the royal doctor was expected to do.

Elsa slipped back into the dress she'd plucked from the wardrobe, gauging its level of comfort against her wounds. She pulled a deep breath through her nose, letting the bandages stretch, and let out a sigh of frosty air that glittered as it melted in the warm summer's air. She stepped toward her door, trepidation weighing on her shoulders like an anvil.

She would have to be strong. If not for herself, then for Anna.

Quiet, calculated steps carried her down the long hallway to the stairs. Her mind was blank. Her head was clear. Her eyes were glassy. Her heart thrummed in her chest. She wasn't ready. She wasn't sure she even _could _be ready.

Down the staircase. Toward the library. Powerful, warming sunlight streamed through the windows, dancing on her dress like children at play in a school yard. Birds chirped from off in the distance, their cries echoing in the empty halls of the Arendelle castle.

A door. _Knock knock knock._

The heavy oak barricade drew back enough for one curious aquamarine eye to glimmer out at her, the same worry etched into the iris.

"It's me."

The door opened wider, revealing Anna garbed in a simple green dress that hung long and straight, following the grace of her body. The purple crocus stitched into the fabric below her neckline matched the green one on Elsa's dress, uniting the sisters under the kingdom's royal seal.

The light blue snowflakes that adorned the backs of their white pairs of gloves united them under Elsa's royal seal, token to their like powers.

"Are you ready?" the queen asked her sister.

"I don't know...how did it feel when you found out?"

"I found out by mistake, Anna."

The red-head looked at the floor. "So did I," she mumbled.

A tear dripped from the end of her nose. Elsa slid delicate fingers clad in white silk beneath the distraught, quivering chin, lifting the princess's face. The queen used her free hand to brush the gentle tears from Anna's eyes.

"Anna...I saw you. I saw your eyes. Whatever...whatever happened to you, you weren't yourself. You can't blame yourself for that."

"Then neither can you," the defiant young woman replied. Elsa let her eyelids draw shut, wishing with all her heart that Anna spoke the truth.

"I was aware of my actions, Anna. You weren't. You can't be held accountable if you weren't in control."

"And you won't be criticized for protecting the Princess of Arendelle," Anna replied.

Elsa let her gaze drift across Anna's face. Glittering eyes, filled with sadness, joy, despair, and love, trembled with unshed tears at what was to come. The small, round nose that rested on her soft, smooth cheeks, all dusted with cinnamon and hope. Quivering lips, just parted enough to show off two white front teeth, sunken at the corners that drooped down a face so full of equal parts hope and anguish it threatened to crack. Elsa drank her in, every piece of the young woman held by the tips of her gloved fingers her eternal fountain of youth, and felt her heart break at what was to befall them.

"I don't know what will happen," Elsa lied, putting on a brave face for her sister. The queen leaned forward and brushed her lips against the princess's, a delicate touch with the delicacy of a butterfly's wings and the comfort of a mother's hug. And the comfort retreated as quick as it had come, leaving both women with pink cheeks and enamored eyes.

"But I know that I am with you," Elsa said, "and that is enough to make me strong."

Anna's face colored to match her hair. She let an endearing smile grace her features and kissed the back of the queen's gloved hand, leading the blonde into the room to follow as the door shut behind.

The women, hand in hand, approached a thin, aging man with horn-rimmed glasses and a crooked bowtie, his straight-backed armchair in front of the loveseat that, less than two weeks before, they'd been occupying after the ice skating party in the courtyard. The royalty sat, drawing the attention of the man, who looked up and nodded in greeting.

"Professor."

"Queen Elsa, Princess Anna."

"You know why you are here, then?"

"Oh, very well, and it is very..._strange_...that both of you would be afflicted by such powerful opposition."

Elsa waited on tenterhooks, feeling Anna lean into her arm.

"Elsa, you have a wonderful gift. You have the power to produce ice and snow with mere thought, which you can then control to do as you wish. Such a wonderful phenomenon has, undoubtedly, been with its own series of consequences and blessings, hopefully equal in proportion."

Her eyes drifted toward the floor. The professor cleared his throat.

"Your ice is at its best when it is driven by love, my Queen. You can control your ice when you love your ice, when you are emboldened and enraptured by its beauty and power. 'Only an act of true love can thaw a frozen heart,'" he said, casting a meaningful glance toward the attentive blonde. Her cheeks twinged pink for the second time in several short moments.

"However, fear is your enemy, as it brings out the negative effects of your powers. Fear drives you to attack and destroy, where love drives you to defend and create. Fear is your weakness. Love is your strength."

He then shifted his gaze to Anna, who gulped and cuddled closer to Elsa.

"Anna has a very strange form of magic, the likes of which I've not heard of in existence since reading fables of good and evil when I was but a boy. You are the polar opposite of your sister, dear Princess, and as such you miraculously possess the opposite of her power."

He leaned back. "It's not fire," he stated. "Fire is the dominator of ice and snow in every instance of the two interacting. Fire will invariably melt ice and snow, but ice and snow cannot extinguish a fire no matter the quantity or severity. What you possess is something much more..._special._ You control something legendary, far more rare and in need of secrecy than Elsa's ice. Some call it dark ice. Some call it the 'freeze of oblivion.' Some call it 'Hell's tenth circle.' For a scientist such as myself, this folly is hardly explanatory. What you wield would accurately be called 'anti-ice' or 'antice,' the 'anti' of Elsa's 'ice' power."

He gazed out the window beyond them. "Science does not allow for an explanation of magic and sorcery and the like, which means that you and your sister are rightfully regarded as anomalies. Science, however, dictates that for every object, force, and tangible _thing_ in existence, there is also its 'anti' counterpart, something which exists and does not at the same time. It is the direct polar opposite of its physical doppelganger, and it is said that when the two halves connect to form a whole, given enough force and equal amounts, the two will consume one another infinitely until so much energy, _raw_ energy, is stored in the absorption that it simply cannot hold any more, and then the energy is unleashed in an explosive blast that will destabilize everything it contacts. From what Queen Elsa has told me, the blast took place aboard our beloved _Opus_, and the craft was obliterated as a result."

He stared long and hard at both women. "Elsa's weakness is fear, which is the direct opposite of Anna's strength in courage. Courage will offer you control of the power on par with Elsa's strength in love. However...your weakness..."

"It can't be hatred," Elsa blurted. "Anna doesn't know the meaning of the word."

"The opposite of love is not hatred, my Queen. It is apathy. Love, as an emotion, is a very powerful feeling capable of creating and destroying everything and nothing all at once. Its opposite, then, is apathy, a total lack of care or regard for things around a person. An apathetic individual is one who feels nothing, thinks nothing, sees nothing, hears nothing, exists within a cocoon of nothingness as black and empty as Anna's antice. Apathy is your weakness, Anna. Apathy will corrupt you from within and blossom into a black, rotting flower, hollow and colorless."

Anna gulped.

"It can be controlled. Just as the love you showed for your sister reversed the effects of her fear, so did her show of courage for you in the face of your apathy."

He then stood, tilting his head back as he gazed down his nose and out the window. "And that is all I have to say on the matter. I bid you two a pleasant afternoon, and..." he trailed off, gaze still out the glass panes that separated them from the courtyard, where Elsa knew preparations were being made for them. "...that the rest of your days are light and free."

He strode away from the temporary meeting space and out the library's secret entrance in the back, leaving the royal sisters to contemplate his words.

"You...you've got to be the bravest person I know, Elsa," Anna said, throat dry. "But...what did he mean...?"

Elsa shuddered. "When I was imprisoned, Anna..." She unzipped the front of the dress, letting it fall about her waist. Anna gasped.

"What is this?"

"Scars."

The princess let a tentative hand brush at the bandages, fingers shaking beyond control.

"You were too disoriented on the ship to notice; you had only woken up with enough time to see Hans and react, remember? You fell into me and then blacked out again, remember?"

Anna nodded, guilt scored into her face like a great ugly set of claw marks.

"These," Elsa rolled her shoulders, "are the scars Hans gave me. He...took my hair," Elsa plucked the horse-tail wig from her head, revealing the hackneyed haircut, at which Anna clapped both hands over her gaping mouth; "He...he took my strength," she touched the right side of her back, "my dignity," she touched the left side of her back, "my pride," she touched her chest, "my power," she touched her stomach, "my sanity," she touched her right thigh, "my security," she touched her left thigh, "and...m-my innocence," she gestured at the panty-clad valley between her legs.

"Your..."

"My innocence, my purity, my...my _virginity_. He took it from me, all of it."

The queen slumped in defeat. "He robbed me of everything, Anna. Everything except my love for you. He...broke me. He broke something that...I-I don't think I can ever fix...all because he wanted me to go along with his scheme, threatening to...to..."

"To?"

Elsa swallowed. "To take you away from me, and take it all away from you too."

Anna let out a whimper.

"But I couldn't let him. He...no, no, I just..." she sighed, restraining an expletive with visible effort. "That..._swine_...could do whatever his vile little mind pleased, just as long as he did it to me. I-I would let him do it a hundred times over, Anna. I would endure it for the rest of my life...just so you would be safe."

The queen slipped her dress back over her shoulders, resealing the zipper, looking more frail and injured than a wounded kitten without a home or a proper meal. Anna leaned against her sister, arms laced around the slim waist, wary of the scars beneath.

"Elsa..."

"You mean that much to me, Anna. I..." She held up her left hand, wrapped in a metal-and-cloth contraption the doctor had created. "Hans put shackles on me that shrunk the colder they got, and when I saw you on the ship, I froze the shackle to break free...and I crushed my hand. And the funny thing..." Elsa let a low chuckle leave her delicate lips. "The funny thing is, all the whipping, the torture, the shackles, my hand, the...the _rape_...none of it hurt me as badly as seeing him standing over you like that, knowing any move I made would leave you dead. Nothing that has ever happened to me in my life..." She sniffled, her voice dipping to a whisper, "not even losing mom and dad...has ever made me feel so helpless and scared and...like I wasn't good enough...than seeing you like that...

"I never want to feel that again," she lisped, her voice without sound, tears streaming down her face and raining into her lap. Anna watched, powerless.

The queen stemmed her tears, mindful of the soft caresses her sister offered one gloved hand. She willed her eyes dry and stood with slow grace, the redness draining from her eyes with lingering fingers. Anna stood, rubbing the queen's arm.

"You won't ever have to," Anna said, a hitch in her throat. "Everything's...going to be okay."

The royal siblings departed the library and walked down the hall to the spiral staircase that would lead them to the ground floor. A servant greeted them with a grim expression on his face.

"I'm terribly sorry about this, your majesty, princess."

They each offered him a curt nod, marching forward, eyes straight, faces brave. The doors banged open, letting them into the courtyard. All of Arendelle's adults had gathered for the event, watching with ashen faces as the royal sisters stepped forward to the top of the cobble stairs leading down to the courtyard below. The crowd gazed up at them, waiting, expectant, silent.

"The end is nigh," Elsa called, diplomatic and professional as always. "This day will forever be looked upon with fondest sadness. Those who are faint of heart, I beg that you turn away now, both for your sake and ours. We don't want this to be any harder than it must be."

And Elsa finally let her gaze rest on the gallows that had been erected the night before, two miserable rings of rope with thirteen coils apiece hanging taut and limp in the dead, heady air of the midday sun. Elsa gulped, the fear of what was to come etched clear in her mind's eye, and with a trembling tongue, she spoke again.

"The charges...of treason, murder in the first and second degrees, aggravated assault and battery, manslaughter, perjury, and destruction of property...weigh heavy on the shoulders of the accused...a-and shall thus weigh more heavily upon their heads as they...they hang from the neck until death." She swallowed past the lump in her throat, willing her tears not to spill over. "It is...w-with a very h-heavy heart...that I call forth to bear the forem-mentioned charges..."

And Elsa closed her eyes, feeling Anna shaking with uncontrollable sobs at her side, crushing her hand in a vicelike grip, just as unable to bear the sentencing as the queen, and Elsa drew a shuddering breath, and with a crumbling resolve let the words drip from her mouth like the tears that hung unbidden in her eyes.


	16. Shatter Frozen Hearts

_**A/N: So I went ahead and wrote the epilogue. This is what came of it. Love me, hate me, do whatever. **_

_**This is the final posting for This Calling. To everyone who clamored to know more, here it is.**_

* * *

_This Calling  
_

Epilogue: Shatter Frozen Hearts

One week after the public execution found a giggling snowman waddling through the town square, his eyes bright with wonder at seeing summer. He sniffed at the flowers and wandered in a meandering line around the cobblestone street.

His stumpy legs carried him to the church, where a wedding ceremony was being held. Curious eyes gazed upon the bride and groom in wonder, and never had he thought he'd ever seen a sight so beautiful.

"You may kiss the bride," the pastor intoned.

The snowman knew what a kiss was and knew that it was an act of love, and the bliss he felt from seeing such a wonderful sight would have made him melt were it not for the flurry drizzling snowflakes over his head. He trundled away, unseen by the attendees.

He waved at the blacksmith. He got a stick-five from the grocer. He shared a complicated handshake with the postman. And then

_Whud._

The snowman found himself staring at the flurry above his head, his body nowhere to be seen.

"Woah! Well, that's one way to get ahead in life."

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!"

He found himself rising, a pair of small hands grasping his misshapen head. With a push, he settled back into his body and shook himself, releasing a sprinkling of loose snow into the cobble below.

"Oh, there we go! Now we're perfect!"

"Oh, mister snowman, I didn't hurt you, did I?"

The snowman turned, his gaze landing on a young girl with black hair that had been braided into two matching tresses, her eyes brown and her nose like a little baby unicorn.

"Nope!"

She sighed in relief. "Thank goodness. I'm Maria. Or, well..._Princess _Maria."

"Hi there! I'm Olaf, and I like warm hugs!"

He glommed onto the girl, eliciting a gasp of surprise. She found herself and returned the hug, marveling at how pleasant the chill of his body felt under the heat of the sun.

"Hello, Olaf. I've heard stories of you."

"Stories? Of me?"

He released her and stepped back, eyes twinkling. "Oh, that makes me so happy! Wait, wait, what's your favorite story?"

"The one Kristoff told me about your head being used as a ball."

Olaf let out a warbling giggle that made his entire body bounce. "He doesn't call it 'Heads Up' just because it's funny."

Maria laughed. "Heads Up. That's a great name."

"He wanted to call it 'Butts Up,' but then I wouldn't be able to see the game."

A fanfare sounded, startling them both. From the church came the newly married couple, proceeding in the direction of the Arendelle castle. Maria gasped and clapped, stars in her eyes.

"They look so wonderful," she sighed. "I hope I can look like that when I grow up."

Blonde hair poked out from beneath the royal hat worn by the groom. Maria waved, and the groom winked.

"I gotta go, Olaf. See you soon!"

She bounded after the receding couple, leaving Olaf to continue in his wander.

After exploring a handful of back alleys previously left uncharted, the snowman found himself outside the gates of the Arendelle cemetary. He blinked.

Cautious feet carried him through the rows of headstones, the frosted grass the only evidence of his presence. He stopped in the far corner of the enclosure, face void of its normal giddy sparkle. Sorrow washed over him.

"Why do the good ones have to die?" he asked the flurry. It responded with a snowflake deposited on the end of his pointed orange nose. He sighed.

"At least they can't hurt anybody anymore."

He stared between the graves once more, letting the names engrave themselves into his mind.

_Jada Erinsvat. Servant to the royal house who was blinded by greed._

_Hon Varsden. Servant to the royal house who was blinded by greed._

"They were the best, and then they were the worst."

xXxXx

"Welcome, Princess Maria. How has your day been?"

"I met a snowman named Olaf," she squealed with excitement. "He's so nice and fluffy."

"That's good to hear," Gerda replied with a smile. "Does he still like warm hugs?"

"He sure does!"

A knock sounded at the door. Kai poked his head in.

"Princess, you're wanted in the royal study."

She skipped from the bed and pranced down the hall, a wordless melody flowing from her lips to pervade the air. She reached the study door and smoothed her skirt.

_Knock, knock, knock-knock, knock._

The door opened, revealing a dashing young newlywed clad in the finest suit Arendelle had to offer. Maria grinned.

"You wanted to see me, your highness?"

"There is a bit of paperwork to be finalized."

The door swung wide, allowing Maria to enter the room. The new bride, bright and cheerful as always, leaned across the large desk and waved at the newcomer.

"Hey, Maria!"

"Hi Anna!"

"Darling?"

Maria's eyes widened. She looked to her right, where sat a man she hadn't seen in almost a year. He wore an impressive jeweled crown, a cape of red velvet with plush white spotted trim, a tunic of blue with gold seams and sleeves, blue and gold leggings, and a fne pair of polished shoes.

"...daddy?"

"Sweetheart," he whispered, tears falling from his eyes. She leapt into his arms and cried on his shoulder, a happy reunion of a broken family. Anna nudged her groom.

"I think you did pretty good."

A chuckle. "It's hardly difficult to strike diplomacy with a man so wonderful and open-minded."

"Oh, come on Elsa. You know you did good."

The queen, clad in a suit reminiscent of her father's, let an idle smirk cross her lips. "Yeah, I know."

"Thank you, Queen Elsa...Queen Anna...you've found my daughter and brought closure to me and my kingdom. The Spanish Empire is forever in your debt."

"Nonsense," Elsa scowled, waving his words away. "I cannot ever make up for the loss of your wife...or your son," she mumbled, her gaze trained on the varnished wood of the desktop.

"Nothing could ever make up for the loss of Lucida," he agreed. "But you...you at least helped my son to realize a way out of the cruelty he faced...and he did what he believed he had to so Maria would be safe...And even though it has cost his life, he will be forever honored in the empire."

"As he shall in our kingdom," Elsa replied. "He saved my life, and no amount of gratitude or repayment could ever suffice for his actions. You have our eternal allegiance and a top-priority trade agreement that will be maintained indefinitely."

He nodded once. "You are a hero for destroying a poison such as Hans from this world, and for silencing his brothers Franz and Lyle in the process. Trouble will brew in the Southern Isles from your actions, but you will have the backing of an empire to defend against them. They would not dare to try and trump the Spanish Empire."

He slid the quill from the inkwell and scrawled a messy signature onto the parchment on the desk, solidifying the negotiations the two kingdoms had made before the wedding ceremony. The king stood, his daughter's hand clasped within his own.

"We will be taking our leave, Queen Elsa, Queen Anna. You have my gratitude and the service of an empire if you are so inclined."

He stepped out and let the door close on the office. Elsa looked to see Anna, gripping the desk with white-knuckled rage.

"Anna?"

"I murdered his son."

The calm tone unnerved Elsa, a feeling which did not coincide well with the joy at being married to her beloved. "You were-"

"I murdered him, Elsa."

The ice queen did not expect such harsh words from her sister and sighed.

"Anna," Elsa soothed, digging the pads of her thumbs into the tanned, distraught shoulders that quivered with rage and fear. "You heard the man. We saved Juan from Hans. We saved him from a life of damnation within his kingdom because he died an honorable man. It's because of him that I am still alive, and that you are yourself again. If he were still alive, he would have no home to return to, Anna. He would be held accountable by his kingdom for a crime he didn't commit. The people would never have gotten past what they heard about his treachery against his mother, no matter what the real truth of the matter is."

Elsa stepped around the desk, pushing her nose against Anna's, forcing the girl to maintain eye contact.

"You didn't murder him, Anna. You saved him, just as he saved me, just as I saved you."

Anna searched Elsa's eyes for any hint of doubt or deceit, and upon finding none allowed herself a nod. Her stomach refused to unknot, her throat was tight, and she didn't place much belief in Elsa's words of comfort.

But the soft, tasty kiss that followed loosened all of that up and convinced her that the past was gone, and all that mattered was the beautiful blonde in front of her, telling her she was loved.

* * *

_Born of cold and winter air_

_and mountain rain combining_

_This icy force, both foul and fair_

_Just cannot fight this calling_

_Cut through the ice, cold and clear_

_Strike for love to face your fears_

_See the beauty, sharp and clear_

_Split the ice apart_

_And shatter frozen hearts_

* * *

**_Thanks to everyone for reading along! Go ahead and leave thoughts if you believe I deserve them; I won't be mad if you don't. I love you all, my gentle snowflakes, and I hope I'll get around to writing a sequel for this story...possibly a much longer sequel. ~Kyttin  
_**


	17. Exeunt: Closure from the Author

_This Calling_

Exeunt: Closure from the Author

Right, Hi. I'm Kyttin. How are you all, my snowflakes?

I will apologize in advance for offending or otherwise spawning a negative impression of myself within your minds, but this "chapter update" is mostly here for me to speak my own.

So, I've been receiving reviews and such for this story, _This Calling_, and one of the recurring things to come back and bite me in the ass is the rape from the end of Chapter 8 (the same chapter that shares a title with this story). It has been stated over and over that I should at least label the top of the chapter with a "trigger warning" given that I already suck up a few hundred words with an Author's Note every chapter, both at the beginning and the end.

As I stated at the end of Chapter 8, however, Rape is a nasty thing.

See, I don't really agree with the whole "trigger warning" thing. Sure, I put it into later chapters, but for fuck's sakes, I didn't explicitly write out Elsa being raped. You want that sort of gut-wrenching horror to quell your inner demons? Go read Chapter 3 of my other work _The Slipshod Collection_, the Nightmare fic. I guarantee it'll be worse than anything stated in Chapter 8. I don't honestly understand why it is some people feel as though I should have to paste warning labels all over my story. Come on. My duty as a writer is to write about how life works, and the fact of the matter is that all forms of good and bad exist in the world, and rape is no exception. Period. That's all I'm here to do. That, and to write a story the majority of people think is a good read.

I don't mind that I get the reviews claiming they can't continue reading the story after Chapter 8. Really, I don't. If you can't handle the fire, you probably don't belong in the kitchen, so to speak. Better to realize it sooner than later, although (and those who read the whole story can say better than I), that's not as bad as it gets. From my perspective, it didn't get all that bad anyways. Again, _The Slipshod Collection_ explores those dark, decrepit places my mind likes to travel to visit every once in a while. It's raw, it's unclean, and it's probably over the top. The "Nightmare" chapter of that _Collection_ is almost rated A, and the only reason it isn't is because _I didn't put any overly explicit content into the text. _Just as I didn't with this story.

If reading about a trickle of blood (that, truth be told, could have been her period and everyone else lied to her about it) was enough to set people off, then I must be one cold-hearted son of a bitch. I've had girlfriends who had experienced rape and were plenty conscious enough to understand what was going on and be powerless to stop it. I gave everyone here a fuckin break because Elsa wasn't even awake for it. I've spoken to psychologists about what it does to them before, during, and after. I've talked with the girls to find out, rather selfishly, what exactly transpired (aside from the obvious penetration aspect, which one girl freely described as the equivalent of sandpaper grinding against concrete). I bothered to dig, all at their discretion, so that I might be the better informed person.

I don't support rape. Whatsoever. In all of this, I'm sure such a simple, adamant fact could be well overlooked or misread. I'm not a rapist, nor have I ever been or will ever be. I don't have that sort of erotic fantasy of being in charge and having total power over someone. I believe in free will, and I love what comes of it. Rape is disgusting. So is torture. So is abuse, be it self-inflicted or extra-personally inflicted. But I can't hide from what I see, from what I hear, from what I'm told. I can't forget what I've been told, both by victims and by brain experts who bother to break down the neuron transactions that change as a result of the trauma. So rather than put a curtain around what is most certainly a gruesome subject to speak of, and not one to speak of lightly, I choose to shed light in an otherwise dark room. I choose to do what not many would, and I do it because it is _reality._ I live just outside of Los Angeles, and I can guarantee there are or will be at least three victims of rape in that city tonight. I'm as powerless as you are to stop it from happening. But I'm also in possession of a voice and of words, and I choose instead to write the tragic horrors these victimized individuals feel and see. I believe it is far better to know than to be ignorant, even if it is such a subject as this.

And I believe that so long as I continue to write, I will continue to speak my mind without shame or shelter.

I don't expect reviews or comments for this controversial update. I don't expect anything, really. What I expect is that everyone opens their eyes to the world a little more, that we all stop being so innocent to the horror that surrounds us each and every day. The better informed we are, the better lives we lead.

Oh, and the other thing that has me miffed is the startling amount of reviews I've gotten in the month since I finished this story, well after it left the first few pages of fics. It's cool, mostly because people are still bothering to backtrack that far to see what else is available. But asking me to cater to your sensitivities as a reader isn't something I'm comfortable doing, and for that I will apologize. I cannot say I'll apologize for writing it, though; that would be pure and utter bullshit.

Hi, everyone. I'm Kyttin. And for those few of you who I hope don't hate me after reading my rant, I still love you, my gentle snowflakes. I hope to continue writing here in this fandom because everyone is so tight-knit and the authors are so wonderful to deliberate with, but my inspiration has been lacking and censorship has been more imposing than ever.

I'm out. Sleep tight, everyone.


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